Concerns Korea-Japan sex slavery deal nullifies int'l efforts to criminalize violations

'비판 자제' 합의, 국제사회서 위안부 문제 제기 불가능해지나 The dust is settling on the landmark agreement between Korea and Japan on the wartime sex slavery issue. Critics of the deal,... which includes most of the surviving victims, say it silences their international efforts to get Tokyo to take legal responsibility for its past atrocities against women. Kim Ji-yeon reports. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has reiterated that he will no longer apologize to the victims of Japan's wartime sex slavery. He says a line has been drawn under the so-called 'comfort women' issue with this week's landmark deal struck between Seoul and Tokyo. The Japanese daily Sankei Shimbun reports that Abe has said that he will no longer bring up the issue with Korea as a lid had been put on it and he had that confirmed during a telephone conversation with President Park Geun-hye. And if Korea breaks its irreversible promise, Abe said it will be the end for Korea as a credible member of the international community. The latest developments are raising concerns the deal by the two sides sets a bad precedent by nullifying international efforts to criminalize enforced sexual slavery during times of war. In 1996,... the UN Human Rights Commission released a report referring to the women as 'sex slaves.' "The problem of violence against women during wartime had been such an invisible issue. to bring this issue up first to give it visibility and secondly make it an occasion on which the Japanese government could then do something." Two years later,... another UN report called for the Japanese government to compensate the victims and consider the issue criminal acts against humanity. Up until this week's deal,... Seoul had referred to these reports to pressure Tokyo,... but with the new agreement,... the Korean government is not allowed to criticize Japan over the issue on the international stage. "We have vowed to not criticize the Japanese government over the wartime sex slavery issue assuming Tokyo takes the necessary steps outlined in the resolution." Civic groups representing the victims have expressed their deep disappointment with the deal. They say the hastily drawn up agreement failed to mention Japan's legal responsibility on the matter. The vast majority of the surviving victims say they will ignore the agreement and continue striving for justice. Kim Ji-yeon, Arirang News. Visit ‘Arirang News’ Official Pages Facebook(NEWS):   / newsarirang   Homepage: http://www.arirang.com Facebook:   / arirangtv   Twitter:   / arirangworld   Instagram:   / arirangworld