UpdateJapan's broadcast chief Katsuto Momii regrets war brothel remark
The head of Japan's public broadcaster has expressed regret for comments about military brothels in the second world war, as China and South Korea voiced outrage about a highly sensitive point in relations with Tokyo.
The head of Japan's public broadcaster has expressed regret for comments about military brothels in the second world war, as China and South Korea voiced outrage about a highly sensitive point in relations with Tokyo.
Trying to snuff out further controversy over Japan's view of its wartime role, new NHK chief Katsuto Momii said his comments were "extremely inappropriate". Addressing a news conference on Saturday on the issue of "comfort women", a euphemism for Korean and other women forced to work in military brothels, Momii said such things occurred at the time in all countries at war. But he acknowledged the practice was bad "by today's morals".
Political parties in South Korea demanded Momii's resignation, suggesting his remarks risked becoming another diplomatic headache for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Even as a personal opinion … It’s my fault for not grasping the rules
China's foreign ministry restated its frequent calls for Japan to adopt a "responsible" view of its wartime history.
Tokyo already has strained relations with Seoul and Beijing rooted in disputes over remote islands and lingering memories of Japanese aggression before and during the war.
Momii, a former vice-president at one of Japan's largest securities trading houses, reiterated that his weekend comments amounted to his personal view.
"Even as a personal opinion I shouldn't have said it. It was extremely inappropriate," he said. "I had never been [speaking] in such a place before. It is my fault for not grasping the rules."