| 일본군 위안부⇒‘성노예’ 표현 바람직 |
| 공생정책연구원, 6일 힐러리 미 국무장관에게 감사 서한 |
고승선 기자  |
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힐러리 클린턴 미 국무장관이 최근 “자국내 모든 문서에 사용하고 있는 일본어 ‘위안부(comfort women)’를 그대로 번역을 한 말을 쓰지 말고 일본군‘위안부’ 대신 ‘강제적인 성노예(enforced sex slaves)’라는 표현을 써야 한다”고 지시한 것과 관련 대한민국 공생정책연구원(대표 석종현)과 공생정책연구원 내 일본군‘성노예’진상규명위원회(위원장 박영길)가 “진실은폐, 왜곡된 진상, 터무니없는 날조, 인권유린, 명예회복, 피해보상 운동에 상당한 용기와 희망을 우리에게 주었다”며 힐러리 장관에게 깊은 감사의 뜻을 담은 서한문을 보내 주목되고 있다.
이들은 또 “일본군‘성노예’할머니들이 돌아가시기 전에 제 역사적 진실과 엄연한 사실은 반드시 해결해야 한다”며 “일본군‘성노예’문제가 60여 년 동안 지지부진 했던 데는 식민지 시대에 대한 일본국의 자기반성과 한국 측의 진상규명을 위한 노력이 없었다는 점에 그 이유를 찾아야 할 것”이라고 밝혀 이 문제 해결을 위한 진상규명에 뒷짐을 지고 있는 한국정부와 일본정부의 안일한 태도를 비판했다.
| ▲ 일본군‘위안부’ 대신 ‘강제적인 성노예(enforced sex slaves)’표현을 지시한 힐러리 클린턴 미 국무장관에게 감사의 서한을 보낸 공생정책연구원 석종현 대표(우)와 공생정책연구원 내 일본군‘성노예’진상규명위원회 박영길 위원장 © 시티뉴스 | |
이 연구원 석 대표와 박영길 위원장은 6일 힐러리 장관에게 보낸 서한문에서 “그간 한국정부가 일본군‘성노예’에 대한 문제해결에 유기, 방관으로 일관해 왔다는 왜곡된 사실은 피해야 할 것이지만, 적어도 헌법재판소가 지금까지 정부가 일본군‘성노예’역사문제에 대하여 헌법적 책무를 실현하지 못한 부작위는 위헌이라는 결정을 한 것을 받아 들여야만 할 것”이라고 평가했다.
또 “특히 일본국 정부가 그 동안 일본군‘성노예’문제에 대하여 어떤 발언과 행동으로 대처해 왔는지에 대한 평가는 냉정해야 할 것이지만, 아시아태평양전쟁으로 인하여 희생된 일본군‘성노예’피해당사자들의 역사적 제 문제에 대하여 실체적인 진실과 엄연한 사실들을 왜곡했고, 은폐하고, 조작하고, 날조한 사실에 대해서는 중대한 범죄행위로 응징되어야 할 것이 분명하다는 생각”이라며 일본에 대한 응징을 요구했다.
또 “그간 일본군‘위안부’라고 통칭됐던 이 말의 어의는 일제 식민지 시대에 일본군대 내 ‘위안소’로 연행되어 강제로 성폭행 당한 여성들을 일컫는 말 이었다”며 “일본 군인들의 성 욕구를 채워 주기 위해 집단적 성행위 장소인 군대 내 위안소를 제도화하고, 식민지와 점령지에 있는 수많은 젊은 여성들을 강제로 전선에 배치시켜 반복적으로 성폭행을 했던 것”이라고 정의했다.
아울러 “일본 제국주의자들이 태평양전쟁에 강제 동원 및 강제 납치 된 성노예들은 약 20만으로 추산하고 있고, 그 가운데 약 80%가 한국 사람이었습니다. 약15만 내외의 어린 소녀들이 전선에 끌려갔다”며 “일본국이 패전된 후, 일본군‘성노예’들은 고국으로 돌아오지 못하고 상당수가 현지에서 죽거나 현지에 사살됐고 살아 남았던 사람들 중 대다수가 어쩔 수 없이 현지에 남아 여생을 마친 것으로 파악되고 있는 실정에 있다”고 실상을 설명했다.
한편 이들은 “당신(힐러리 장관)의 그 한마디(강제적인 성노예)의 단언들이 올바른 열정으로 다가오는 까닭에 우리는 굳건하게 힘을 얻어서 일본군‘성노예’문제를 해결할 수 있다는 확신을 다시 한 번 가져 본다”고 다짐하기도 했다.
힐러리 미 국무장관에게 보낸 서한문 전문
Dear Madam United States Secretary Hillary Clinton,
I, Jong Hyun Seok, am President of the Institute of Symbiosis Politik. I am Young Kil Park, Chairman of the Truth Investigation Committee for Enforced Sex Slaves by Japanese.
We would like to send this letter to express how much we appreciate your honest views regarding former sex slaves from Korea and other parts of East and Southeast Asia.
We learned that you stated, behind closed doors, that the term "comfort women," a euphemism for Asian women, who were forced to serve as prostitutes for the Japanese military during World War II, is wrong and that they should be referred to as "enforced sex slaves."
Your statement brought hope and courage to people who are fighting to reveal the covered-up truth, correcting distorted facts, defending Human Rights, restoring honor, and distributing proper compensation for “enforced sex slaves” by Japanese military during World War II.
Even though Korean government has been trying to solve issues related to “enforced sex slaves” by Japanese military during World War II, the Korean government has not be able to make much progress in defense of the Korean people’s right in this instance.
The Japanese government, who has covered-up these crimes, should make amends to the Korean people for these crimes related to “enforced sex slaves” by Japanese military during World War II.
Since 2001, I, Young Kil Park, have been working hard day and night to reveal the truth about “enforced sex slaves” by Japanese military during World War II.
The Japanese government and Korean government treat “enforced sex slaves” by Japanese military during World War II as unfortunate history which happened long ago and should be forgotten. I, Young Kil Park, believe that history should be defined as it is and should be acknowledged as an inhumane monstrosity.
In June, 2012, to make people more aware of the issue of the “enforced sex slave” , the Institute of Symbiosis Politik sent official letters to the world, Korean government, Korean Congress, Korean Congressmen, Korean cabinet members, Korean Chief Justice, Korean Press, TV and other mass media regarding the reality of “enforced sex slaves” by Japanese military during World War II.
The term of “comfort women” has been a euphemism for Asian women who were forced to be sexually violated for the Japanese military during World War II. So-called, “comfort stations” inside military bases were set up and were institutionalized to fulfill Japanese soldiers’ needs.
During World War II, Japan abducted approximately 20,000 “enforced sex slaves.” About 80 percent of them are Korean, so around 16,000 Korean girls and women were taken.
After Japan lost the war, most “enforced sex slaves” could not come back home but died or got killed.
234 women have reported to Korean government as former “enforced sex slaves.” Their life is pain.
The reality of “Comfort Stations”:
The reason why “comfort stations” were set up was not for a Japanese individual soldier's benefit but for better performance in combat. According to Prof. Yoshiaki Yoshimi’s research, “the aim of facilitating comfort stations was the prevention of rape crimes committed by Japanese army personnel and thus preventing the rise of hostility, rape, arson, and plunder among people in occupied areas.”
Japanese government planned and implemented “comfort stations” to prevent Japanese soldiers’ combat power from possibly losing from 58 days to 91 days average due to gonorrhea and syphilis, sexually transmitted disease.
Geography of “Comfort Stations”:
Wherever Japanese military went, “comfort stations” followed. The first “comfort station” was established in the Japanese concession in Shanghai, China. As Japan continued military expansion, the military directly organized, supervised, and managed “comfort stations.”
The city of Busan in Korea was an important base for Japanese military logistics and transportation. When Japanese soldiers returned to Japan, on their way, they used “comfort stations.”
In East and Southeast Asia, Japanese government set up mobile “comfort stations” to exploit underage girls.
Therefore, the truth about “enforced sex slaves” should be revealed officially. We will continue to fight to verify the truth.
Testimonies from Victims:
Korean culture emphasizes the virtue of chastity and virginity for unmarried women. Former “enforced sex slaves” had to remain hidden within Korean society and have lived painfully. Since Haksun Kim gave her name as a “Comfort Woman” publicly in August 14, 1991, many women started to testify about their lives as “Comfort Women.”
Jeom Yeop Gong, a former “enforced sex slave,” stated that “a Japanese soldier did not even ejaculate. The other soldiers knocked the door to hurry up. It was so hard that a little girl had to take so many soldiers day by day.”
Ok Duk Suh claimed that “Japanese military tested her whether she got sexually transmitted disease or not every other day. If a slave got pregnant, the military attempted to abort by any means. A spoonful of food was the only meals provided.”
Gi Pil Moon said that “When I got pregnant and wanted to raise the baby, the military killed the newborn baby with a gunshot as an example to discourage other people from having a baby.”
Why the truth is not still officially proven?:
The first witness, Haksun Kim, sued the Japanese government in 1992. Other former sex slaves continued to sue the Japanese government. The Japanese government persistently took a position of ignoring them.
In 1993, international pressure finally had Japanese government acknowledge conscription of women for sex.
The Women's International War Crimes Tribunal on Japan's Military Sexual Slavery was held in 2000 in Tokyo, Japan.
Despite the fact that the Tribunal does not have authority to enforce any ruling, the outcome is a significant achievement for feminists and human rights activists, as well as for the former ‘comfort women’ themselves.
On the final day, following the testimony and other evidence presented by the prosecutors, the judges found both the Japanese State and the Emperor Hirohito guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Tribunal concluded by recommending that the Japanese government make a
meaningful apology and provide compensation to the surviving victims.
The Korean government and the Japanese government still have been ignoring fundamental solution for former “enforced sex slaves”. There are political action groups, who take contributions but don’t do anything, and politicians who take advantage of the former “enforced sex slaves”.
Before all the former “enforced sex slaves” pass away, the truth should be verified and revealed. The reason why “enforced sex slave” issues were not solved for 60 years lies with the Japanese government which refuses to investigate itself and the Korean government's lack of aspiration to find truth.
We, Jong Hyun Seok and Young Kil Park, are taking action to fulfill the follow purposes listed below.
The Japanese government and the Korean government should compensate victims properly and acknowledge truth!
The Japanese government should acknowledge its war crime and punish war criminals!
The Japanese government should correct its history textbook and educate Japanese people correctly!
The Korean government should disband all political organizations related to comfort women and dismiss all politicians who take advantage of the victims!
A lot of victims have passed away. Before the remaining victims pass away, we have to things right for these women.
You have always shown great affection to Korea and Korean people. We feel that we have a bond with you. Jong Hyun Seok is also a law professor. Young Kil Park resides in Haman City, South Korea, , which is a sister city with your husband, Mr. William “Bill” Clinton’s home Arkansas.
It is such an honor for us to write this letter. We will be strong and will remember your ideas and spirit.
You are a great and visionary leader who has deep interests in freedom and human rights before being a United States Secretary.
We learned that you were taught by your grandmother that “you can do anything and do not be afraid to challenge in different fields.”
Also we were told that your role model is Martin Luther King Jr. who is famous for his speech, “I have a dream.”
Please do not diminish your passion! Your passion and persistence will create humanism and philanthropy. When your term, “enforced sex slave,” is known to the world, an inhumane criminal act will be acknowledged and there will be justice.
Thanks to your word and corrected term, we have a hope to solve the “enforced sex slave” issues.
We, the Korean people, love you.
Professor Jong Hyun Seok PhD, President of the Institute of Symbiosis Politik
Young Kil Park, Chairman of the Truth Investigation Committee for Enforced Sex Slaves by Japanese
Government during World War II
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| 기사입력: 2012/08/07 [18:38] 최종편집: ⓒ 시티뉴스 | |
