“We will continue negotiating with Japan to restore the dignity of Taiwan women forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese army during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) and World War II,” MOFA Minister David Lin said during a press conference.
According to Lin, a task force comprising officials and civic organization representatives is in charge of upholding the rights of these victims, with MOFA remaining highly involved in related activities.
The minister’s remarks came after Japan’s Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and his South Korean counterpart Yun Byung-se reached an agreement on the issue the day before in Seoul.
Japan has apologized and will pay 1 billion yen (US$8.31 million) to set up a fund for the South Korean victims. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will also offer an apology and sincere reflection in his official capacity.
Lin said the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan is keeping a close eye on related developments, and will continue demanding an affirmative response from Tokyo.
In a statement released Dec. 28, Presidential Office spokesperson Charles Chen acknowledged the Japanese government’s positive move, and reiterated that the same treatment should be extended to Taiwan’s comfort women as well.
Chen said President Ma Ying-jeou has been deeply concerned about the issue since he served as justice minister 20 years ago. After taking office in 2008, Ma has also invited Taiwan’s surviving comfort women to visit the Presidential Office on several occasions, hoping to enhance public awareness of the bravery and courage of these war victims. (SFC-JG)
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