Newsletter

Korea Committee on Joint Action against TWS is formed. (2006. 5. 23)

The ideological foundation of the Japanese far-right forces, 'Yasukuni-centered distorted view of the history' and 'Shrine to Praise invasion', TWS

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who retired on September 16, 2020, visited TWS on September 19 and said, "I told the spirits that I left the cabinet." A month later, on October 19, he visited TWS once again. During his tenure, Abe was obsessed with regressive historical awareness, such as denying the invasion war and forcedness of ‘Sexual Slavery Victims’ with historical negativity. The scene in which he ran to TWS, a shrine that praises invasion, shortly after his retirement, tells what the ideological foundation of the current Liberal Democratic Party regime is. In other words, their base is in the 'Yasukuni-centered distorted view of the history', which denies the invasion war and does not reflect on colonial rule at all. He visited TWS in December 2013 when he was prime minister. At that time, the international community fiercely criticized him and expressed concern even in the United States. Then he had to abandon his visitation and end up offering tributes. Perhaps he was very frustrated with the situation.

Visit TWS protesting to withdraw inappropriate shrined. (2014. 7. 10)

East Asian Citizens' Solidarity for Peace and Human Rights : Joint Action Against TWS

Former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has officially visited TWS every year since 2001. This issue has emerged as a major conflict in East Asia. In October 2005, the bereaved families of victims who were improperly shrined into TWS declared to engage in ‘Joint Action against TWS’. They exposed the nature of TWS, a shrine that praised the invasion, to the international community and acted for those who were forced to mobilize and sacrificed in the invasion war. So they decided to form a regional committee in Korea, Taiwan, Japan and Okinawa to fight for the improperly shrined Koreans(about 21,000) and Taiwanese(about 28,000), and to condemn and abolish this fact.

‘Joint Action Against TWS’ has decided to file a lawsuit against the Japanese government and TWS to abolish inappropriate shrined. And they decided to investigate the truth about the unauthorized shrine of the victims and to open a candlelight vigil in Tokyo every August in Tokyo against TWS. They also decided to do various activities to inform the international community about the reality of TWS. As a result, regional committees were formed in four regions, of which the Korea committee began on May 23, 2006 in Namsan, Seoul. Lee Hae-hak(professor of Ritzmeikan University), Lee Seok-tae(lawyer), Lee Hee-ja(representative of the Council for Compensation for Victims in the Pacific War), and Lim Heon-young(director of the Center for Historical Truth and Justice) formed a joint delegation. And the Center for Historical Truth and Justice was in charge of the secretariat.

‘Joint Action against TWS’s Campaign’ in Germany (2015. 5)

We accuse TWS and the Japanese government: the bereaved families' struggle for trial

It was from June 2001 that the trial for Koreans who were improperly shrined into TWS and the struggle for it began. Survivors who were mobilized as Military, Civilian Component and 252 of their bereaved families filed suit against the Japanese government. They demanded cancellation of shrine into the TWS, return of remains and compensation for damages. However, on November 30, 2011, 10 years after filing the lawsuit, the Supreme Court of Japan ruled against them.

After forming the Korean Committee, 11 Korean plaintiffs filed a first lawsuit on February 26, 2007, demanding the elimination of inappropriate shrine into TWS. This was concluded on October 23, 2013 by a loss at the Tokyo High Court. 27 Korean bereaved families did not give up on the ongoing loss. They filed a second case with the Tokyo District Court the day after losing the first case.

On May 28, 2019, the Tokyo District Court ruled against the suit. “We reject all the plaintiffs’ demands. The plaintiffs will pay for the costs of the lawsuit.” In a ruling five years and seven months after filing the lawsuit, the judge took only five seconds to read the sentencing. The judges fled the courtroom as if they were running away. The plaintiffs tearfully condemned the unfair ruling by the Japanese judiciary. And they appealed and decided to keep fighting. The appeal is still ongoing. The plaintiffs' statements in this lawsuit were published in the Northeast Asian Historical Foundation News in August 2020 under the title "75 years of liberation, why do I fight against TWS?"

The plaintiffs harshly pushed for the family that was improperly shrined into TWS, saying Japan should be responsible for the war. They were reborn as the subject of the movement through the struggle of trial, and experienced the restoration of the history of the family that was unfairly sacrificed by the Japanese imperialists. They were also able to confirm strong solidarity through meetings with Japanese civil society, which has supported trials and struggles.

Internationalization of TWS issues: Candlelight vigil in Tokyo against TWS and International Conference on TWS issues

The Candlelight vigil in Tokyo against TWS, which has been held every August since 2006, broke the taboo of Japanese society that did not allow criticism of TWS. And it has firmly established itself as a struggle carried out by international solidarity for East Asian peace. In addition, International Conference on TWS issues are expanding the discussion. This is to promote the problems of TWS to the international community from the perspective of universal human rights and peace beyond the historical conflicts between Korea and Japan. On the other hand, the documentary film 『Hello, Sayonara』, the series of works about TWS of Hong Seong-dam, and the satirical cartoon of Ko Kyung-il contributed greatly to artistically imaging and popularization of TWS problem. The Korea Committee on Joint Action Against TWS is preparing to raise the issue to the international community in earnest based on their experience in campaigns in the United States and Germany. East Asian citizens who want peace and the human rights of victims of colonial rule and invasion war will shout again in Tokyo this August. “NO, TWS! Against the war!”