[LETTERS TO THE EDITOR]Comfort women fact questioned
Published: 07 Feb. 2003, 01:34
Your article on Korean comfort women ("Some things cannot be forgotten," J-Style, Jan. 29) was informative and generally well reported. However, I believe it is erroneous to state that of 160,000 comfort women, only 131 survive.
It is hard to believe these figures; can that many have died? I think it would be more correct to say, "There are only 131 known survivors."
You have to take into account the many former comfort women who are likely too ashamed to come forward or refuse to come forward out of a need to put the past behind them.
I also think that the Korean government should be doing much more to encourage other former comfort women to publicly reveal their tragic past.
If more women admitted to being victims of the Japanese military, this would help put more pressure on the Japanese government for a settlement.
by Max Becker-Pos
It is hard to believe these figures; can that many have died? I think it would be more correct to say, "There are only 131 known survivors."
You have to take into account the many former comfort women who are likely too ashamed to come forward or refuse to come forward out of a need to put the past behind them.
I also think that the Korean government should be doing much more to encourage other former comfort women to publicly reveal their tragic past.
If more women admitted to being victims of the Japanese military, this would help put more pressure on the Japanese government for a settlement.
by Max Becker-Pos
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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