Japan to recall envoy to South Korea amid row over ‘comfort women’ statue

[TomSea]

Japan to recall envoy to South Korea amid row over ‘comfort women’ statue
By Asian Correspondent Staff | 6th January 2017   

A former South Korean comfort woman Kil Un-ock, right, who was forced to serve for the Japanese Army as a sexual slave during World War II, shouts slogans with other comfort women next to the statue symbolizing a wartime sex slave. Pic: AP

JAPAN is recalling its ambassador to South Korea over a statue commemorating Korean “comfort women” forced to work in Japanese wartime military brothels during World War Two, the government said on Friday.

The term “comfort women” is a euphemism used for the girls and women who were subjected to the practice. South Korean activists estimate that there may have been as many as 200,000 Korean victims.

Chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga said the statue in the southern city of Busan was “extremely regrettable” and stated that Japan has asked for its removal.

Continued: https://asiancorrespondent.com/2017/01/japan-recall-ambassador-south-korea-comfort-women-statue/

The 2 countries probably have too many ties for this to have any effect on the big picture, maybe this is known as "diplomatic wrangling".

[TomSea]

I see the NY Times and CNN are covering this too; CNN saying "diplomats" as in plural have been withdrawn from S. Korea.

CNN article: http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/06/asia/japan-diplomats-south-korea/index.html

I came upon a few images:

[driftdiver]

JAPAN is recalling its ambassador to South Korea over a statue commemorating Korean “comfort women” forced to work in Japanese wartime military brothels during World War Two, the government said on Friday.

The term “comfort women” is a euphemism used for the girls and women who were subjected to the practice. South Korean activists estimate that there may have been as many as 200,000 Korean victims.

Chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga said the statue in the southern city of Busan was “extremely regrettable” and stated that Japan has asked for its removal.

Continued: https://asiancorrespondent.com/2017/01/japan-recall-ambassador-south-korea-comfort-women-statue/

The 2 countries probably have too many ties for this to have any effect on the big picture, maybe this is known as "diplomatic wrangling".

They have ties but there is a lot of anger towards Japan in South korea.   I lived there 3 years and heard it all the time.

[TomSea]

They have ties but there is a lot of anger towards Japan in South korea.   I lived there 3 years and heard it all the time.

I certainly believe that, thanks for the response.

The story is gut-wrenching.

[truth_seeker]

Japanese are among the most racist people on this spinning mud ball.

I had a big client that was a retired Japanese businessman, living in the US. He served during WWII as an interpreter for prison cams.

He told me they were racist towards Koreans, who they call "dirty" people. Same applies to blacks.

Japanese believe themselves to be a superior race.

[TomSea]

Japan actually invaded, what Manchuria, China in the early 1930s, 1932.

At times, I wonder if that invasion caused, in part at least, that area of Asia to hemorrhage for years afterwards.

But then, you had Communism on the move as well and that caused great hardship.  Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution but who knows, maybe without the Japanese invasion, the rulers of Japan, Chiang Kai-Shek(?) or Emperors would have been able to quell Communism. Obviously, it's a complex matter. One would need to get the history books out.

Yes, the Japanese believe in a very homogenous society but look at them now, I guess they are having problems keeping the birth rate up; a bit off-topic.

[HonestJohn]

Japanese are among the most racist people on this spinning mud ball.

I had a big client that was a retired Japanese businessman, living in the US. He served during WWII as an interpreter for prison cams.

He told me they were racist towards Koreans, who they call "dirty" people. Same applies to blacks.

Japanese believe themselves to be a superior race.

The Koreans are the same way.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_ethnic_nationalism
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_nationalist_historiography

[TomSea]

South Korea allows immigration on a somewhat notable basis.

Where are the figures on Japan doing that?

Vietnamese become second largest expat group in South Korea: report
By VnExpress   December 28, 2016 | 09:20 pm GMT+7

More have moved to South Korea for work or marriage over the past years.

Vietnamese have surpassed Americans to become the second largest group of foreigners in South Korea as the number of interracial marriages and foreign workers continues to rise here.

According to immigration data published by The Korea Times, 147,295 Vietnamese people were living in South Korea at the end of last month, accounting for 7.4 percent of all expats. In comparison, there were one million Chinese and 140,337 Americans.

More: http://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/vietnamese-become-second-largest-expat-group-in-south-korea-report-3520630.html