The South Korean National Assembly passed an amendment to the 'Comfort Women Victims Act' that will penalize the dissemination of false information about victims of Japanese military sexual slavery.
On December 12, the South Korean National Assembly passed an amendment to the 'Comfort Women Victims Act' aimed at penalizing the spreading of false information about the victims of the Japanese military's sexual enslavement during World War II. This legislative move reflects a growing concern over the degradation of historical truth and the repeated humiliation of victims by extremist groups who deny these historical facts. Advocates hope that this new law will serve as a significant check against the actions that have often used the guise of 'freedom of expression' to launch assaults on the dignity of these survivors.
The core proposal of the legal amendment imposes penalties of up to five years in prison or fines of up to 50 million Korean won for anyone found guilty of spreading false information about the victims. It has been noted that since 2019, pro-extremist and historical revisionist groups have carried out counter-demonstrations against the peaceful protests demanding justice for 'comfort women.' These groups have repeatedly disrupted peaceful gatherings, publicly humiliated victims, and threatened the symbols of remembrance, such as the Statue of Peace. Prior legal frameworks were insufficient to protect these victims under defamation laws, which typically require individual complaints from family members of victims. With this amendment, a new avenue is opened to address the broader act of disseminating falsehoods that undermine the dignity of all victims rather than focusing solely on individual attacks.
Moreover, the amendment defines the suffering experienced by 'comfort women' as a result of enforced sexual exploitation by the Japanese military, emphasizing that these were state-sanctioned crimes. This aim underscores a firm stance against any form of historical denialism. Some ultra-nationalist factions have, with the support of Japanese right-wing organizations, attempted to submit documents to UN bodies denying the coercion of these women. Such actions can be seen as secondary harm perpetrated against victims. The law also mandates the Minister of Gender Equality and Family to oversee the installation and management of commemorative monuments for the victims, reinforcing the responsibility of the state to honor and protect their memories rather than allowing them to be trivialized as mere artworks.
