SOUTH KOREA: South Korean protesters, including former comfort women, rally against Japanese lawmakers' visit to war shrine while the foreign ministry expresses regret over a comment by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

Record ID: 213955

  • Title: SOUTH KOREA: South Korean protesters, including former comfort women, rally against Japanese lawmakers' visit to war shrine while the foreign ministry expresses regret over a comment by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
  • Date: 24th April 2013
  • Summary: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (APRIL 24, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF ANTI-JAPAN PROTESTERS CHANTING EXTERIOR OF JAPANESE EMBASSY JAPANESE NATIONAL FLAG PROTEST LEADER SPEAKING WHILE PROTESTERS HOLD PLACARDS READING IN KOREAN: "We condemn the homage at Yasukuni Shrine" (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) ANTI-JAPAN PROTEST LEADER PAK HAN-YONG SAYING: "The recent mass pilgrimage by Japanese lawmakers is an act which doesn't reflect on their past invasion and colonial rule. So we are here today to warn them strongly because it violates peace in the East Asian region." PROTESTERS GATHERING VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS CHANTING FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND UNIFICATION COMMITTEE SESSION IN PROGRESS AT SOUTH KOREAN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY CHAIRPERSON BANGING GAVEL VARIOUS OF SOUTH KOREAN LAWMAKERS SESSION IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) SOUTH KOREA'S VICE FOREIGN MINISTER KIM KYOU-HYUN SAYING: "We express very deep regret at a comment which calls into question historical awareness of Abe's cabinet. It is really a matter for regret that Japanese politicians and lawmakers in a position of responsibility have made an anachronistic comment, putting back the clock." LAWMAKERS SOUTH KOREAN UNIFICATION MINISTER RYOO KIHL-JAE (CENTRE) AND KIM (FAR RIGHT) MORE OF SESSION
  • Embargoed: 9th May 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Korea, Republic of
  • Country: South Korea
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA1C9XL9VDK6A8PJY01BXFR98H3
  • Story Text: South Korean protesters, including former comfort women who were forced into sexual slavery in brothels run by the Japanese army in World War Two, rallied on Wednesday (April 24) against a visit by Japanese lawmakers to a controversial war shrine.
    At least 168 lawmakers visited Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine, which honours 14 leaders convicted as war criminals by an Allied tribunal along with Japan's war dead.
    The mass pilgrimage came after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made an offering and Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso and two other ministers visited Yasukuni over the weekend.
    About 100 protesters, including elementary school students and ex-comfort women, gathered in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul and chanted anti-Japanese slogans.

    "The recent mass pilgrimage by Japanese lawmakers is an act which doesn't reflect on their past invasion and colonial rule. So we are here today to warn them strongly because it violates peace in the East Asian region," said anti-protest leader Park Han-yong.
    On Tuesday (April 23), Abe said in parliament that there was not a clear definition of invasion internationally and in the academia, Seoul's Yonhap news agency reported.
    South Korea's foreign ministry said on Wednesday the comment was very regrettable.

    "We express very deep regret at a comment which calls into question historical awareness of Abe's cabinet. It is really a matter for regret that Japanese politicians and lawmakers in a position of responsibility have made an anachronistic comment, putting back the clock," said South Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kyou-hyun during a foreign affairs and unification committee session at the national assembly.
    Homage paid by leading Japanese politicians at the Tokyo shrine typically angers Japan's neighbours, who say that it glorifies wartime atrocities.
    Abe, an outspoken nationalist, made a ritual offering of a pine tree to the Yasukuni shrine instead of physically visiting it.
    South Korea, where bitter memories of Japan's 1910-1945 colonisation run deep, has cancelled a trip to Japan by its foreign minister following the weekend shrine visits.
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