Yoshimi Watanabe

Japanese PM refuses to rule out Yasukuni shrine visit 하시모토-이시하라 "위안부발언 철회 불필요"

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• published: 20 May 2013
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Click "CC" for Scripts Subscribe to arirang! http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=arirangnews Visits to the Yasukuni war shrine in Japan by high-profile government officials are a surefire way to stir up tensions in the region, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe isn't ruling out a visit of his own in the future. For more on what the prime minister said and didn't say, our Kim Hyun-bin reports. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe did not give a straightforward answer when asked about a possible visit to the controversial Yasukuni shrine. The prime minister said that it is natural for a Japanese leader to pay homage to those who lost their lives in service of their country. In an interview with Washington's Foreign Affairs magazine, Prime Minister Abe compared the shrine to the Arlington National Cemetery in the United States. describing it as a place that enshrines the souls of patriots. However, the fact is that 13 Class-A war criminals are buried at the Yasukuni shrine, reason number one as to why Korea and China are against any Japanese leader showing his or her face there. Meanwhile the co-leader of Japan's Restoration Party Toru Hashimoto is refusing to back down from comments he made last week about Japan's wartime use of sex slaves. He said, "whether they were sex slaves or not will affect how the world assesses Japan. The militaries of other countries similarly used women during World War II. It is unfair to criticize Japan only." Kyodo News Agency reported Sunday that the co-leader and secretary general of Hashimoto's Restoration Party said the comments don't need to be withdrawn. But in a political blow, Yoshimi Watanabe, the leader of the small opposition Your Party, said it would withdraw its support for Hashimoto's party in the House of Councilors election this summer in protest of the comments. Amid the wave of offensive remarks made by Japanese politicians, two Korean comfort women during World War II arrived in Hiroshima late last week to hold a series of rallies. The two woman say they are living proof of Japan's past atrocities, and plan to meet with Hashimoto this Friday during their two-week tour of seven Japanese cities. Kim Hyun-bin, Arirang News Visit us on Homepage http://www.arirang.co.kr Like us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/arirangtv Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/arirangworld