On January 4, the Catholic Bishops Conference of Korea, the highest decision making organization of the Roman Catholic Church in Korea said that the comfort women agreement between the South Korean and Japanese governments "reduced a problem of the basic rights of man and a war crime issue into a bilateral diplomatic issue," and called for new negotiations claiming, "The Korean government overstepped its authority when agreeing to the agreement and thus the agreement is invalid." The Roman Catholic Church was the first among the religious circle to declare the comfort women agreement invalid, and this is expected to influence other religious sects.
The Committee for Justice and Peace, an official affiliate of the Bishops Conference expressed its views in a statement titled, "The Position of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Korea's Committee for Justice and Peace on the Comfort Women Agreement Between South Korea and Japan" in the name of chairman, Bishop Yu Hong-sik (Bishop of the Daejeon Diocese) this day. In the statement, the committee stated, "The agreement, which put aside 1 billion yen on a project to recover the honor and dignity of all comfort women victims and to heal their emotional wounds is the result of replacing the basic rights of man, the most precious and universal human value which should be respected before all else, with a logic of economics and diplomacy under the name of resolving a mutual issue between South Korea and Japan."
The committee criticized, "The various contents of the agreement have neglected the efforts to identify the truth and seek those responsible for the comfort women, an organized crime committed by Japan, and thus have once again brutally trampled the rights and dignity of the elderly comfort women victims."
The committee continued, "Even if the Japanese government mentioned an official apology in the latest agreement, they did not state the country's responsibility, but instead evaded legal responsibility, so we cannot accept this as sincere repentance and apology. Furthermore, the agreement was released unilaterally as an agreement between the two country's diplomatic agencies without the process of communication, and not promoted and passed as a resolution and related legislation by the two countries' parliaments. This clearly shows that the agreement cannot be a new beginning.”
On the fact that the latest agreement is the "final and irreversible solution," the committee said, "The Catholic Church and the conscience of humanity have clearly stated that there is no statue of limitations to issues of human rights and war crimes." "The comfort women are an organized annihilation of human rights by the country of Japan and it is a serious crime against humanity. Declaring the final and irreversible solution to the comfort women issue without the consent of the victims is a dangerous challenge going against the conscience and historical experience of mankind," the committee criticized.
In conclusion, the committee stated, "The two governments reduced a war crime and a human rights issue into a diplomatic problem between South Korea and Japan, and the South Korean government's decision to agree to the agreement, which used the expression, 'irreversible,' is itself an act exceeding the government's authority, and we declare that the agreement is invalid." The committee also said, "The Catholic Church of Korea express deep concerns on the comfort women agreement between South Korea and Japan released recently, and strongly urge that the governments fundamentally review this issue by contemplating and refocusing on the dignity of all human beings including the elderly comfort women victims." The committee also warned the Japanese government, "Japan, which has avoided identifying the truth and seeking those responsible for the comfort women issue using the claims settlement as an excuse for a long time, showed an unfortunate attitude that signified the retreat of the history and conscience of mankind."
Bishop Yu Hong-sik, the chairman of the committee visited the comfort women shelter on January 1, met with the elderly victims, and listened to their frustration. Then he released the official position of the Catholic Church this day. Unlike the Catholic Priests Association for Justice, which is an unofficial organization, the Committee for Justice and Peace is an official branch of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Korea and represents the position of the Catholic Church.
The Committee for Justice and Peace, an official affiliate of the Bishops Conference expressed its views in a statement titled, "The Position of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Korea's Committee for Justice and Peace on the Comfort Women Agreement Between South Korea and Japan" in the name of chairman, Bishop Yu Hong-sik (Bishop of the Daejeon Diocese) this day. In the statement, the committee stated, "The agreement, which put aside 1 billion yen on a project to recover the honor and dignity of all comfort women victims and to heal their emotional wounds is the result of replacing the basic rights of man, the most precious and universal human value which should be respected before all else, with a logic of economics and diplomacy under the name of resolving a mutual issue between South Korea and Japan."
The committee criticized, "The various contents of the agreement have neglected the efforts to identify the truth and seek those responsible for the comfort women, an organized crime committed by Japan, and thus have once again brutally trampled the rights and dignity of the elderly comfort women victims."
"Candlelight Vigil in Front of the 'Girl of Peace'" College students and citizens of the Committee for the Denouncement of the Comfort Women Agreement between South Korea and Japan gathered before the "Girl of Peace" statue in front of the Japanese Embassy in Junghak-dong, Seoul on the afternoon of January 4 and called for the denouncement of the agreement. Yonhap News
The committee continued, "Even if the Japanese government mentioned an official apology in the latest agreement, they did not state the country's responsibility, but instead evaded legal responsibility, so we cannot accept this as sincere repentance and apology. Furthermore, the agreement was released unilaterally as an agreement between the two country's diplomatic agencies without the process of communication, and not promoted and passed as a resolution and related legislation by the two countries' parliaments. This clearly shows that the agreement cannot be a new beginning.”
On the fact that the latest agreement is the "final and irreversible solution," the committee said, "The Catholic Church and the conscience of humanity have clearly stated that there is no statue of limitations to issues of human rights and war crimes." "The comfort women are an organized annihilation of human rights by the country of Japan and it is a serious crime against humanity. Declaring the final and irreversible solution to the comfort women issue without the consent of the victims is a dangerous challenge going against the conscience and historical experience of mankind," the committee criticized.
In conclusion, the committee stated, "The two governments reduced a war crime and a human rights issue into a diplomatic problem between South Korea and Japan, and the South Korean government's decision to agree to the agreement, which used the expression, 'irreversible,' is itself an act exceeding the government's authority, and we declare that the agreement is invalid." The committee also said, "The Catholic Church of Korea express deep concerns on the comfort women agreement between South Korea and Japan released recently, and strongly urge that the governments fundamentally review this issue by contemplating and refocusing on the dignity of all human beings including the elderly comfort women victims." The committee also warned the Japanese government, "Japan, which has avoided identifying the truth and seeking those responsible for the comfort women issue using the claims settlement as an excuse for a long time, showed an unfortunate attitude that signified the retreat of the history and conscience of mankind."
Bishop Yu Hong-sik, the chairman of the committee visited the comfort women shelter on January 1, met with the elderly victims, and listened to their frustration. Then he released the official position of the Catholic Church this day. Unlike the Catholic Priests Association for Justice, which is an unofficial organization, the Committee for Justice and Peace is an official branch of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Korea and represents the position of the Catholic Church.
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