Kono Yohei, Author of 'Kono Statement' on Comfort Women, Dies at 88

Kono Yohei, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan who issued the "Kono Statement"—which expressed apology and remorse to victims of the Japanese military's "comfort women" system—passed away on June 8.

[Kono Yohei / Then-Chief Cabinet Secretary (1993): We extend our sincere apologies and remorse to all those who suffered immeasurable pain and incurable physical and psychological wounds as comfort women.]

In 1993, the Japanese government released the "Kono Statement" on August 4, following an investigation that lasted one year and seven months.

While the statement has limitations, such as the lack of mention of compensation and the claim that legal responsibility had been resolved, it is recognized as the first instance in which the Japanese government officially acknowledged that the military was involved in the recruitment and transport of comfort women and that there was coercion in the process.

Although this statement became the official position of the Japanese Cabinet, there have been persistent attempts, primarily by right-wing factions in Japan, to revise or retract it.

Following the release of the statement, Kono engaged in a heated debate with Sanae Takaichi, who was a first-term lawmaker at the time and is now the Prime Minister.

[Sanae Takaichi / Then-Member of the House of Representatives (March 16, 1995): At the very least, as I belong to a generation that cannot be considered a party to this, I do not feel any remorse, nor do I believe there is any reason for me to be asked to feel remorse.]

[Kono Yohei / Then-Foreign Minister (March 16, 1995): The comfort women experienced unspeakable misery amidst the ravages of the past war. There will inevitably be individual differences between those who feel that pain deeply and those who do not.]

Kono was elected president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in 1993 when the party lost power to an opposition coalition, but he never became Prime Minister.

He served as Speaker of the House of Representatives for five and a half years starting in 2003, before retiring from politics in 2009.

Kono also maintained a cautious stance on amending Japan's so-called "Peace Constitution," which stipulates the renunciation of war and the prohibition of maintaining war potential.

Prime Minister Takaichi expressed her condolences via social media, writing, "His stance of facing historical issues sincerely and valuing dialogue and understanding should be remembered as one of the cornerstones of Japan's peace diplomacy."

However, since Prime Minister Takaichi took office, moves to amend the Peace Constitution have gained momentum, and descriptions of the coercive nature of comfort women recruitment are gradually disappearing from Japanese history textbooks.

Reported by Mun Junmo | Video by Moon Hyun-jin | Video Editing by Choi Hye-young | Graphics by Park Tae-young
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.