Resurfaced Dispute.docVIP

Resurfaced Dispute 　　The governments of Japan and the Republic of Korea （ROK） have been at loggerheads after a new statue symbolizing Japan’s wartime sex slavery victims was erected in front of the Japanese Consulate General in Busan by a South Korean civic group at the end of 2016. 　　The Japanese Government accused the ROK of violating a bilateral agreement over the wartime sex slavery issue that was reached in 2015. To pressurize South Korea， Japan has recalled its ambassador to the country as well as suspended currency swap talks and high-level economic dialogue between the two nations. 　　On the surface， the diplomatic spat shows the non-conformity between Japan and South Korea in implementing the deal. However， there was a lack of justice and impartiality in the controversial agreement reached by the two governments. 　　 A controversial deal 　　Before and during World War II （WWII）， an estimated 200，000 women， mostly from the Korean Peninsula as well as China and Southeast Asian nations， were forced into sexual servitude in military brothels for Japan’s army. The victims were known as“comfort women.” 　　At the end of 2015， the ROK and Japan reached a “final and irreversible”agreement on resolving the historical issue of “comfort women.” According to it， Japan promised compensation of 1 billion Japanese yen （$8.73 million） for South Korean victims. In return， the ROK Government would no longer criticize Japan over the issue on any occasion or demand further compensation. 　　After the agreement was reached， Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe offered an apology to those who suffered immeasurable and incurable physical and mental wounds as “comfort women” in a letter read by his Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida. However， Abe did not accept Japan’s legal responsibility for the war atrocities it committed. 　　Despite the agreement with South Korea， the Japanese Government still refuses to admit the fact that Japan forcibly recruited women into sexual slavery befo