[Statement] 'We strongly advocate for the execution of Berlin's call for the forced removal of the Comfort Woman statue.' 

In Berlin ,the capital city of Germany , city authorities ordered the removal of the comfort woman statue, erected in the city center. In an official letter to the Korea Verband, Berlin's Mitte ( the area where the statue is located) told the Korea Verband to remove the comfort woman statue by today (14th), if they do not voluntarily remove it, the decree will be enforced and the removal costs charged to them. 

Mitte first agreed with the installation of the statue in the sense that It dealt with the issue of violence against women committed during the war not only in Japan but around the world. However, the inscription was aimed at Japan from the Korean standpoint, so it could trigger tension in the relationship between Germany and Japan because of an inscription, of which Mitte was not informed of in advance. Therefore they asserted that public places should not be used instrumentally by a one- sided private group, adding "Mitte may give the antipathetic impression of Japan" 

It is estimated that 130 comfort woman statues have been installed in Korea, as well as more than 14 locations overseas, including the United States. There have also been miniature comfort woman statues distributed to more than 239 elementary, middle and high schools nationwide. However, the historical facts about the comfort women are largely distorted, therefore the action by the Berlin authorities is likely to be recorded as the first case that logically put a brake on the politicization and internationalization of the comfort women issue. 

The inscription, of the comfort women in question, says that during World War II, Japanese troops forcibly took women as sex slaves across Asia and the Pacific. However, during the Japanese colonial period, Koreans were under the nationality of Japan. Apart from incidents such as 'employment fraud', it is not appropriate to regard these in the same light as the occupied women who suffered unilateral damage because they were engaged in commercial prostitution during wartime under the prostitution system of the Japanese government. 

In addition, the inscription contains an explanation that pays homage to the courage of survivors, who campaign to prevent the recurrence of war crimes. This is nothing but the fact is, that so-called support groups have taken advantage of former comfort women who were used as women's rights activists for their benefits. This can be seen in the accusations of massive embezzlement and fraud committed by Jeong Dae-hyup and Yoon Mi-hyang, in which Yoon Mi-hyang, director of Jeong Eui-yeon (formerly Jeong Dae-hyup), and also a sculptor, who was one of the Jeong Dae Hyup executive board members, sold 95 statues of comfort women to generate sales of 3.1 billion won. 

The Berlin authorities' criticism is that the public space where the comfort woman statue was placed, has been turned into a tool for their private benefit , which is similar to what is happening in Korean society today. Governments, local governments, and organizations that take the lead in supporting the installation of the comfort woman statues in public places are in violation of Article 22, of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Article 22 : Protection of Mission Areas and Prevention of Damage to Dignity''. This article was violated, as the statues are being used to produce anti Japanese sentiment and as a political tool. 

Therefore, the conspiracy to constantly mobilize and pressure the international community against Japan, must be stopped. Japan has actively sought to solve the comfort women problem through the Asian Women's Fund and the Reconciliation and Healing Foundation. In addition , due to an attempt to include the issue of comfort women as a human rights issue for women around the world by using distorted historical facts, the Committee for truthful investigation on Anti -Japanese Statues welcomes the Berlin authorities' order and the execution of the “removal of the comfort women statue”.​

This is a statement made on October 11th, 2020 

by The Committee for Truthful Investigation of Anti-Japanese Statues