<Anchor>

This ending in Japan is also a problem, but there are also people in Korea who are controversial. He is a former professor at Seoul National University.

These days' anti-Japanese sentiment, which has no choice but to feel bad about Japan, continues to be argued that it is irrational ethnicism. Our reporter met with the former professor, listened to the story, and tried to find out if the claim was correct.

First is reporter Won Jong-jin.

<Reporter>

"Japanese comfort women are essentially the same as prostitutes." The first reason that Lee Young-hoon, a professor at Seoul National University, makes this claim is that there is no record that Japanese troops were forced to take Korean women.

[Young Hoon Lee / Former Professor, Seoul National University: There was no such thing as a kidnapping of women working in factories. No.]

However, there are many data showing the compulsion of Japanese troops in the mobilization of comfort women.

The US Archives Archive found in 2002 clearly states that "all 23 Korean women have been comforted by coercion and fraud."

There is also a statement from the Dutch intelligence agency that the Japanese forces arrested women and placed them in comfort stations.

Another reason for the former professor's argument is the `` Shiyoshi Yoshida Testimony. ''

Japanese writer Seiji Yoshida testified that he had taken the comfort women directly from Jeju Island during the Japanese colonial rule.

Whenever Japanese far-right forces deny forced mobilization, they are often cited as a basis.

[Young-hoon Lee / Former Professor, Seoul National University: Didn't the Asahi Shimbun, which had preached his testimony in advance, admitted in 20 years that we misinformed us?]

Even if the testimony of Seiji Yoshida is false, several memoirs of the Japanese military at that time demonstrate the compulsion of the comfort women mobilization process.

[Hajongmun / Hanshin University, Department of Japanese Studies: It's a long time ago. So, you think that the mixed parts of the research and activities in the early 90's are still valid today, and that's the argument. (I think it does not refer to recent research.)

Lee says he does not even think his claim hurts surviving comfort women.

[Young-hoon Lee / Former Seoul National University Professor: (Grandmothers say that these allegations hurt me very much. What do you think about hurting your heart?)

[Principal of Ahn Shin-kwon / Sharing House: You know everything because you watch TV. Whenever I see that, my heart is pounding and I'm telling you that my heart hurts so much that I can't express it.]

The inability to believe the testimonies of the victims' grandmother is the basis for Lee's denial of compulsory comfort women.

[Jin Jin Sung / Seoul National Univ. Professor of Sociology: Vietnam, China and many other grandmothers. It's all the same thing. Does it make sense to go voluntarily in Korea? Now grandma victims all over the world testify the same.]

International trials and academia report testimonies of Japanese comfort women victims scattered in 11 countries, including Korea.

(Video coverage: Oh Young Chun, Video editing: Lee Seung Hee)

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<Anchor>

Despite this controversy, former professor Lee Young-hoon insists he is not justifying Japan's colonial rule. The allegation of comfort women victims is a problem in itself, but the bigger problem is that the former professor's argument is being used as a basis for resentment by other far-rights.

I am Kim Min-jung.

<Reporter>

[Ramwonwon / 'Ramwonwon TV' YouTube (last 4 days): We put up the forced labor. If you have a job, that's the best for our Koreans. The one I hate most is this comfort woman. It's embarrassing.]

The end of the far right does not happen today.

In recent years, the end of denial of Japanese comfort women and forced recruitment has been particularly severe.

What they openly mention is the former professor's book and remarks.

[Lee Jae-chun / Former Liberal Advanced Party Foreign Affairs Security Report (Mom Broadcasting YouTube): Mr. Lee Young-hoon made a suggestion in the book. Let's discuss with Chung Dae-kyo. There is no talent for these to discuss. I'm all lying.]

In addition, Lee, who had been academically debated when he was controversial, recently appeared on YouTube broadcasts and actively spoke politically.

[Kim Moon-soo / former GNP lawmaker (Kim Moon-su TV Youtube): The enemy of South Korea, Kim Jong-un or Avena. Do we want to be pro-North Korean, Chinese, Chinese, communist?

[Lee Young-hoon / Former Professor (Kim Moon-su TV Youtube): People should put their hands on the chest and look back.]

[Cha Myung-jin / former Saenuri Party (Kim Moon-su TV Youtube): You raised a ideological theme on the right. 'Moon Jae-in is anti-Japanese tribalism'.]

[Lee Young-hoon / Former Professor (Kim Moon-su TV Youtube): (My remarks) I can't help it if I went into the middle of politics.]

Lee's argument is that it is the result of free research, but considering his recent course and the expansion of his arguments, it seems difficult to defy social criticism.

(Image editing: Cho Moo-hwan)

▶ [Full video] Full text of interview with former professor Lee Young-hoon