Comfort woman's statue in Berlin will have to sit a little longer, which irritates Japan. (Image via Kyodo News)

Berlin district to keep 'comfort woman' statue

A district in Berlin paid no mind to the controversial "comfort woman" statue, a symbol of women held by sex slaves by Japan during World War II, at least for now. The statement made on Thursday came after Japanese officials asked for the removal of the statue. The mayor of the district advocates a memorial to address sexual violence in broader terms.

In October, Mitte district in Berlin asked a local Korean group to remove the "comfort woman" statue that caused Japan some irritations. Mayor of Mitte, Stephan von Dassel, stated that the group previously had been granted to display a "peace statue" for a year as a statement against sexual violence in armed conflicts. However, as the statue was being unveiled, the local Korean group exclusively addresses Japan's WWII army behaviour.

This week, Mitte's district assembly approved a motion for the local government to let the statue be and find a solution so that it keeps standing for long. Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary, Katsunobu Kato, pledged that Tokyo will keep urging the Mitte district to remove the statue promptly. Furthermore, Mitte's government stated that it is in contact with the Korean organization and Japanese Embassy (via Berlin). Local officials agreed that the statue should not have been granted without an internal discussion of its political dimension.

Dassel himself wanted the statue to keep standing until the permitted period in mid-August 2021. The mayor also envisioned a larger, multi-faceted statement against sexual violence. However, officials reminded the mayor that it is not up to him to realize the idea.

Euphemistically called "comfort women", the history of sex slaves has been a major controversial issue between Japan and S. Korea, a country which Japan once invaded. Historians recorded that tens of thousands of Korean women were forced into sexual slavery at a brothel run by the Japanese military during 1910-45. While Japan stated that the problem had been settled, the wartime records between the two neighbouring countries keep straining them apart.

Source: https://bit.ly/2JAfoDZ