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The Korea-Japan Reconciliation and Peace Platform holds a press conference Tuesday at the National Council of Churches in Korea building in Seoul to call on the Japanese government to apologize and assume legal responsibility for victims of wartime sexual enslavement by the Japanese military. (Yonhap News)

Ahead of the National Liberation Day holiday on Sunday, South Korean and Japanese religious and civic groups called on the Japanese government to apologize and assume legal responsibility for victims of wartime sexual enslavement by the Japanese military and stop its efforts to amend Article 9 of its Peace Constitution, in which it renounces war.

The Korea-Japan Reconciliation and Peace Platform held a press conference Tuesday at the National Council of Churches in Korea building in Seoul.

“The Japanese government must immediately stop its attempts to make Japan a ‘country capable of waging war’ and change Article 9 and the rest of its constitution for the worse. It needs to reflect on and acknowledge its legal responsibility for the issues of colonial rule, forced mobilization, and the Japanese military’s sexual slavery system,” the group said.

An organization of human rights and religious groups in South Korea and Japan, the Platform previously issued another statement on Thursday of last year insisting that Japanese companies implicated in war crimes should compensate victims of forced labor mobilization.

“Upholding and saving Article 9 of the [Constitution of Japan] is a matter of peace in Northeast Asia and the most urgent task confronting Korean and Japanese civil society,” the group said.

“We are especially concerned about the US’ support for Japan amending its constitution. We believe the battle by Japanese civil society to protect Article 9 of the [Constitution of Japan] will echo as a song of peace through East Asia, and we will continue with our solidarity and cooperation,” it added.

It went on to demand a more forward-thinking response from the Japanese government on the failure to resolve issues related to victims of the military sexual slavery system and forced labor mobilization.

“The Japanese government has been distorting its history of colonial rule and wars of aggression and insulting the victims,” the Platform said.

“The Japanese government’s regressive historical views are the root cause behind the persistent attacks on peace statues [representing victims of the military sexual slavery system], the ongoing discrimination against Chosen Gakko [Korean schools in Japan], issues over the Rising Sun Flag at the Olympics, and the spread of anti-Korean sentiments,” it continued.

It went on to call for cooperation between the two governments to resolve historically related issues.

“The two governments need to work to establish proper historical perspective and address the legacy of the past and embark jointly on an investigation,” it urged.

“The Japanese government in particular needs to stop interfering improperly in history education and practice history education that achieves reconciliation and peace,” it added.

By Jang Pill-su, staff reporter

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