뉴스레터

Controversy has been ongoing since Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries decided to pay eight women of the Voluntary Service Corps who had been forcefully mobilized during the Japanese colonial rule 99 yen each as payout for the withdrawal of their pension plans. We talked to Ms. Yang Geum-deok and Secretary-General Lee Guk-eon (42) concerning the matter. _Editor

Yang Geum-deok

Prime Minister Kan Naoto issued a statement apologizing for Japan's forced annexation and colonial rule over Korea. What are your thoughts?

Yang Geum-deok I spent the past 65 years, feeding on my tears. But I guess that wasn't enough.

Lee Guk-eon To put it simply, it was a show. Despite the flowery rhetoric, such as "colonial rule, which was imposed against their will" and "heartfelt apology", there was actually nothing of substance.
The only specific issues mentioned were regarding the ethnic Koreans that had been left in Sakhalin and the return of the remains of Koreans in Japan. Nevertheless, this is but a regurgitation of past rhetoric.
If Japan did not have the courage to admit to the illegality and invalidity of Japan's annexation of Korea, it should have at least mentioned the Japanese military "comfort women" issue, which is a notable case of war crime against women and the target of international criticism. But alas...

What do you expect from the Japanese government after Prime Minister Kan's statement?

Yang Geum-deok All I did wrong was being forcibly taken to Japan as a sixth graders and toiling "for the Emperor." I then spent 65 years getting beaten up and going hungry.
When I returned to my hometown after liberation, my neighbors thought I had been a military "comfort women." No amount of compensation can allay the pain and suffering I suffered. But if they apologize, I will accept it.
As human beings, the apology should come first and then the compensation.
An apology is their moral duty.

Lee Guk-eon Regarding the Sakhalin issue, Prime Minister used the word "assistance." But this is putting the cart before the horse.
The Japanese government is actually the defendant in the lawsuit "Demand for the Return of Postal Savings" (Demand for the Return of Unpaid Wages).
As the defendant, how can Japan speak of "assistance"? If Japan is sincerely willing to resolve the issue, it should immediately return the postal savings—which amounts to a huge sum—to the victims of forced labor instead of dragging out the lawsuit.
The same goes for the issue of returning the remains of Koreans. There must first be a survey of the remains, which are scattered throughout Japan, much of which has been left unattended.
Before it is too late, there must be an effort at the government level to take DNA samples of surviving family members so that the groundwork is laid for the remains to be safely returned to the victims' families. Without such an effort, Japan is merely saying that it wants to get rid of unwanted trash.

It has been reported that on July 14, an agreement was reached to establish a consultative body to discuss the issue of Mitsubishi Heave Industries and Geullo Jeongsindae. What has been the progress thereafter?

Yang Geum-deok They said there will be negotiations, but we haven't gotten a confirmation. A demonstration pushing for the negotiations went on for 208 days, but it has been put on temporary suspension at the moment.

Lee Guk-eon We cannot disclose much ahead of the negotiations. There may be some disagreements, and the negotiations will probably take a while. Nevertheless, there haven't been any significant setbacks as of yet.

The victims of Geullo Jeongsindae have been engaged in lawsuits and protests for 11 years demanding to be compensated by the Japanese government and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. What got you involved in these efforts?

Lee Guk-eon It was in 2003, when I was a reported for OhMyNews, that I got to witness firsthand the painful lives of the victims of forced mobilization.
In 2003, the victims had come to Seoul to file a petition at the Blue House to renounce their Korean citizenship.
I could not fathom how hard it must have been for them to want to renounce their citizenship.
It also pained me to hear that they were only busy around March 1 (March 1 Independence Movement) and August 15 (Liberation Day).
It made me feel bad to hear that it was only around then that reporters would seek them out for pieces on the Japanese colonial occupation. Even if I cannot right the wrong that had been done to them, I thought they at least needed someone who would listen to their stories.
That is how I started meeting the victims of force mobilization, and before long, I came to consider it my duty to help them.

How did the Citizens' Group for the Women of Geullo Jeongsindae come to be, and what are its activities?

Lee Guk-eon In November 2008, the Toyko High Court dismissed the lawsuit filed by the victims of Geullo Jeongsindae, which effectively closed the door for any legal recourse through a civil suit.
It made me feel ashamed and guilty that I had not been able to do anything for the women. Thereafter, a group of people concerned about the victims established the Citizens' Group in March 2009. From October 5 2009—immediately after the opening of the showroom of Mitsubishi Motors in Gwangju—up to July 30 2010, we staged a one-man protest everyday during lunchtime except on Saturdays and Sundays. Close to 1,700 people participated.

In addition, we began a petition signing campaign demanding an apology and compensation from the Japanese government and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
Our goal was to get 100,000 signatures; we ended up with 135,000. On June 23 of this year, we delivered the petition and signatures to the corporate headquarters and cabinet office of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Japan. They were taken aback.

How many victims of Geullo Jeongsindae are in Korea today?

Lee Guk-eon We do not have accurate numbers. But using a report issued by the Commission on Verification and Support for the Victims of Forced Mobilization under Japanese Colonialism in Korea as reference, it is estimated that there are some 300 victims who had been forced to work at the Nagoya Airplane Manufacturing Plant, 1,089 at Fujikoshi in Toyama, and some 300 at the Ashiito Numazu plant in Toyo. The figures only reflect those who had been taken overseas.

Young girls aged between 13 and 15
who had been mobilized from Gwangju,
Jeollanam-do in early June of 1944
are entering the dormitory of Mitsubishi
Heavy Industries' Airplane Manufacturing
Plant in Nagoya.Victims breaking down in tears in front of
the memorial for the labor conscripts
who died at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries'
Airplane Manufacturing Plant in Nagoya.

Tell us about the retirement pension claim and the filing of the lawsuit.

Yang Geum-deok A Japanese lawyer came to handle our pension claim. I went to Japan in February and threw down the 99 yen they had given me on their desk. I protested: "Did you think I'd be thankful? What can one do with 99 yen? I wanted to see your faces.

Lee Guk-eon The victims of the Mitsubishi Geullo Jeongsindae began their lawsuit against the Japanese government and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in March 1993. One piece of evidence that could prove the victims' forced labor conscription was the record of their enrollment in the retirement pension plan.
In 1998, we put in a request to the relevant government labor insurance agency to check for pertinent records. It was not until September 2009 that we were informed of the victims' enrollment. We filed a claim, demanding a payout for the withdrawal from the pension plan.
It was not about money, of course; it was about the victims being able to exercise their due right. The per person payout they issued was 99 yen, about 1,300 won—an amount that cannot even buy a bowl of noodles. We filed for an appeal in January 2010, but the suit was dismissed again in July. The reason cited was that there are no regulations stipulating the consideration of changes in monetary value.
What I would like to ask is, what law is there allowing the forced labor conscription of sixth-grade girls?

How did you come into contact with the organizations and private individuals in Japan helping with the lawsuit? What kind of assistance are they providing?

Yang Geum-deok There are around 12,000 to 13,000 Japanese citizens who are helping us. They come to the airport to greet us and send us off. They provide us with spending money as well as room and board. They were the ones who first got this lawsuit started, and they are actively assisting us with the negotiations. I am so grateful.

Lee Guk-eon The assistance from the Support Committee for the Victims of the Joseon Women's Voluntary Service Corps of Nagoya Mitsubishi has been crucial. The suit has taken ten years, and the Committee's help has been essential throughout. They have provided not only pro bono legal defense but also airfare, accommodation, and other expenses to the victims who visited Japan as witnesses. Moreover, the Committee has been staging a protest all the way in Tokyo every Friday for three years since July 2007.

Despite the tragic past, Korea and Japan seem to be closer than ever. What kind of Korea-Japan relations would you like to bequeath to future generations?

Yang Geum-deok While the history we share is unfortunate, I believe Korea-Japan relations can change. Twelve Korean students will be visiting Japan upon the request of the Japanese side. I hope that the two countries can become friendly neighbors after reconciliation.

Lee Guk-eon We have to move beyond both anti-Japanese sentiment and the quest to overcome Japan. We need to create a common peaceful, antiwar community in order to prevent the recurrence of a conflict. In this sense, the effort to rectify the mistakes and wrongdoing of the past is very important. Nothing is gained by aggression and war. This should become the lesson of our shared history so that aggression and war become unthinkable. To this end, the people of Korea and Japan must see beyond national borders and come together in solidarity to prevent war and promote peace.

What are your plans for the future?

Yang Geum-deok If I am awarded the compensation, I want to erect tombstone for my parents and offer their spirits a drink. I would also like to provide scholarships for students and buy rice for the needy. I am grateful to so many people. I will continue to fight. I won't stop no matter how hard it gets. I will continue my fight for all those who have helped me.