National / Crime & Legal Dec 27, 2019
South Korea's Constitutional Court declined Friday to rule on the validity of a 2015 diplomatic agreement with Japan that aimed to provide funds to the Korean "comfort women" but was deeply unpopular with the Korean public and may have fallen short of being an ...
National Dec 18, 2019
Controversial art festival with 'comfort women' statue had 'many faults,' says Aichi review panel
A review panel formed by the Aichi Prefectural Government has slammed a high-profile art festival held every three years in the prefecture, saying that the event, which sparked controversy for featuring a statue symbolizing "comfort women," had many faults in its displays and preparations. The ...
National / Politics Dec 16, 2019
Japan's 2012 'comfort women' proposal included apology to victims by envoy, ex-officials say
The deal fell apart and stayed on the back burner until a new agreement was reached in 2015.
National Dec 2, 2019
Proposed Korean wartime labor foundation said unlikely to cover 'comfort women'
A foundation proposed by South Korean National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang to pay consolation money to Koreans who worked for Japanese companies during the war is unlikely to cover the former "comfort women," Yonhap news agency reported. The scale of the foundation, initially planned at ...
National / Politics Dec 2, 2019
Top Japanese and South Korean diplomats likely to discuss wartime labor issue at Madrid meet
Top South Korean and Japanese diplomats will likely meet on the sidelines of a gathering of Asian and European foreign ministers later this month to discuss a resolution to a yearlong dispute, Yonhap news agency reported. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and her Japanese counterpart, Toshimitsu ...
National Nov 27, 2019
South Korea drafts bill for foundation to resolve wartime labor issue with Japan: media report
South Korean National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang has drafted a bill to set up a foundation to settle the current wartime labor dispute with Japan, Yonhap news said.
National Nov 12, 2019
Japan likely to skip first hearing in South Korea 'comfort women' lawsuit
The central government isn't planning to attend the first hearing on a lawsuit seeking damages from Japan for former "comfort women" in South Korea, to be held Wednesday, informed sources said Tuesday. Comfort women is a euphemism for women who worked at wartime Japanese brothels, ...
National Nov 9, 2019
Lights, camera ... cut! Japan soul-searching over freedom of expression
Withdrawn endorsements for films and art exhibitions are re-igniting a debate in Japan over self-censorship, exposing a struggle to balance freedom of expression with a cultural penchant for avoiding conflict. The latest controversy arose when Japan last week canceled its endorsement of an art exhibition ...
National Nov 4, 2019
South Korean speaker says bill will allow donations to wartime laborers from Japanese firms
South Korean National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang says the money would be collected from Japanese and South Korean businesses.
National Nov 3, 2019
Japan film festival backtracks on scrapping of 'comfort women' movie screening
After coming under fire for dropping the movie, a film festival in Kawasaki decides to show a documentary on the highly controversial issue of Japan’s wartime military brothels.