Hundreds of South Koreans held a sit-in on Wednesday in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul to protest against this week’s landmark agreement with Japan aimed at resolving the longstanding dispute over second world war sex slaves.
Rallies have been held weekly in the South Korean capital since 1992 demanding a Japanese admission of responsibility and legal reparations for victims who were forced into sexual servitude for Japanese soldiers. Wednesday’s rally highlighted how Monday’s settlement was insufficient for many Koreans to bury the hatchet.
Under the accord, Japan offered to pay $8.3m into a fund for surviving victims based on “painful awareness” of its responsibilities for the system of forced prostitution, while Seoul promised not to press any future claims.