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The following is the ASCK statement in support of House Resolution 121 on the "comfort women" issue.

Alliance of Scholars Concerned about Korea (ASCK)
May 3, 2007

As scholars working on East Asian and Asian American issues, we call upon members of Congress to support House Resolution 121 proposed by Congressman Mike Honda.  We believe that the government of Japan should make an official and unequivocal apology. It should take responsibility for how the Japanese Imperial Armed Force subjected thousands of girls and women of Asia, as well as those of European descent, to sexual slavery as "comfort women" during World War II.

It is beyond dispute that in the Pacific War, many Asian nations fell victim to Japan's military aggression in lives and in resources.  For example, Japan instituted a system of sexual slavery for the benefit of its military by forcing women to provide involuntary sexual services as military "comfort women. The "comfort women" issue is an extraordinarily painful chapter in East Asian history. For East Asia as a region to move beyond existing enmities and forge stronger political and economic ties, there must be a honest assessment of the past. Japan can play a critical and positive role by making an official apology for its wartime conduct on this issue.

The reckoning with the past, however, is not simply a matter of passing judgment on Japan's misdeeds. The United States, too, played a role, when U.S. soldiers visited "comfort women" stations during the occupation after the war. The United States, too, bears responsibility for the failure to fully account for and confront Japanese war crimes. The United States is not an outsider to the problems of history arising out of the wars in Asia, and America must confront its role in mishandling Japanese war-crime issues after 1945.

It is now time for Americans to take issues of historical injustice in northeast Asia seriously. The United States has a clear interest in ensuring that the peace and prosperity of a region so vital to its future is not undermined by the past. So it is appropriate that Congress is taking a role in trying to heal the wounds of history. But simply demanding Japan's apology will not be enough. America must also confront its own responsibility in ignoring Asians' suffering. By fully acknowledging what war-crimes victims went through, the United States can help bring Japan and its neighbors closer together.

The ramifications extend well beyond East Asia. Girls and women are targeted victims of torture and degradation during armed conflicts around the world, from Bosnia to Rwanda. It is critically important that governments send a clear signal that such conduct constitutes a crime against humanity. Japan's apology for past crimes will help to prevent future crimes from taking place.

As scholars, we recognize the importance of truth in any reconciliation process. Before reconciliation can truly take place in East Asia, Japan must take this first, vital step.

Letters in Support of Professor Kang Jeong-koo

The ASCK steering committee authored two letters to the president of Dongguk University in Seoul, South Korea on behalf of Professor Kang Jeong-koo who was indicted in December 2005 and convicted in May 2006 under provisions of the National Security Law for making statements alleged to be pro-North Korean. Professor Kang has been suspended from his teaching and research jobs.

The Future of U.S.-Korean Relations:
An ASCK Book Project (published by Routledge in 2006)

Profound asymmetries of power and perception haunt U.S. relations with both North and South Korea . Over the last four years, these power imbalances have led to increased tensions among the three countries. An uneasy, eight-year truce concerning North Korea 's nuclear ambitions ended in 2002, and the United States moved closer to a war footing. In South Korea, meanwhile, anger and resentment over an unequal military and political relationship, combined with an ongoing U.S. reevaluation of its military role on the peninsula, have put an enormous strain on a longstanding military alliance.

The shifts in U.S. policy toward the two Koreas have taken place against the backup of a radically reconfigured American foreign policy. Upon taking office in 2001, George W. Bush signaled a new direction in U.S. relations with the world. Particularly after September 11, the Bush administration has increasingly broken with a "balance of power" tradition to put greater emphasis on military force and unilateral diplomacy. Dramatic changes have taken place in East Asia as well. These include rising Japan-North Korea tensions in the wake of disclosures of the kidnapping of Japanese citizens; the growing military strength and reach of Japan and China together with China's emergence at the center of a range of diplomatic activities including the Korean nuclear issue; and movement forward in inter-Korean rapprochement.

In light of these trends, the United States faces important decisions in dealing with the Korean peninsula and, by extension, East Asia . Along one path lies increased conflict - diplomatic, economic, and even military. Along another path lies the prospect of greater cooperation and mutual benefit that arise from a greater equality in relations and multilateral diplomatic, political, and economic interaction.

In The Future of U.S. -Korean Relations, twelve prominent experts on U.S.-Korean and U.S.-Pacific relations explore the many dimensions of this critical choice. They analyze current U.S. foreign policy, how it has changed over the last decade, and, as importantly, how it should change over the next ten years. They chart critical new developments in North and South Korea . And they examine U.S.-Korean relations through such prisms as nationalism, the media, and regional relations. This book will contain essays that were published in the Winter 2004 issue of Asian Perspective and written by Charles Armstrong, Paul Chang, John Feffer, Martin Hart-Landsberg, Samuel Kim, Karin Lee, Adam Miles, Katharine Moon, Gi-Wook Shin, and Jae-Jung Suh. The book will have additional chapters by Gavan McCormack, James Seymour, and Haruki Wada.

Korea Peace Day 2005

With renewed tensions once again raising the specter of war on the Korean peninsula, the Alliance of Scholars Concerned about Korea declared November 10, 2005 to be Korea Peace Day.

Conference on U.S. Foreign Policy Toward Korea

On February 25, 2005, the ASCK helped organized a conference at George Washington University to assess the future of U.S. foreign policy towards the two Koreas in light of the reelection of George W. Bush to a second term as U.S. president.

Korea Peace Day 2003

At a time of heightening tensions and increasing threats of war on the Korean peninsula, ASCK organized the first Korea Peace Day to build support for the peaceful resolution of U.S.-North Korean conflicts. On Thursday, November 6, events were held on over forty college campuses in the United States and around the world educating participants about the history of U.S.-Korean relations and calling for a new U.S. policy towards Korea, North and South..  

Time to End the Korean War