"Comfort Women" litigation

[Ian Murray]

Korea Angry Over Sex Slave Case


WASHINGTON (AP) _ Two members of South Korea's legislature criticized
the State Department on Friday for seeking dismissal of a class action
lawsuit brought against Japan by ``comfort women'' who contend they
served as sex slaves for the Japanese military during World War II.

An estimated 200,000 women, mostly from Korea, served as sex slaves.

``Ironically, one week after the United States was not re-elected to
the U.N. Human Rights Commission, the United States released a
statement in favor of Japan and against the people who were
victimized,'' said Young Jin Kim of the ruling Millennium Democratic
Party. His words were translated into English by attorney Michael
Choi.

The U.S. government contends the U.S. federal court does not have
jurisdiction and thus, may not hear the case, State Department
spokesman Richard Boucher said Monday. The position is based in part
on the fact that decades-old treaties settled claims stemming from
Japan's wartime activities.

At the same time, Boucher said, the U.S. government recognizes and
sympathizes with the ``terrible suffering that was endured by those
who were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese Imperial Army
during World War II.''

The lawmakers _ who visited with State Department officials and
members of Congress this week _ also denounced President Bush's plan
to build a national missile defense, saying it will cause an arms race
throughout Asia.

They also expressed concern that the administration is turning its
back on South Korea's attempts to resolve its differences with North
Korea.

``The Koreas have been divided against their will for years by the two
superpowers, the Soviet Union and the United States,'' Kim said, and
they remain apart even though the United States has good relations
with Russia. ``Now we're about to heal our wounds. But the United
States seems to not be supportive of our effort.''

Some say the U.S. decision not to proceed immediately with missile
negotiations with North Korea may have undercut South Korean President
Kim Dae Jung's reconciliation attempts with the North. However, Bush
administration expressions of support for Kim's effort have been
consistent.

Regarding the comfort women's lawsuit against Japan, Choi said it is
hypocritical for the U.S. government to oppose that suit while it
supports slave laborers who are seeking compensation from the
companies for which they worked in Nazi Germany.

Korean slave laborers have filed a separate federal lawsuit in Los
Angeles that targets Japanese companies, not the government.