South Korean President Park Geun Hye Sends Message To Japan In Her Speech During The United Nations General Assembly

In her speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Monday, South Korean President Park Geun Hye urges for the transparency of Japan's new security policies, as reported by Japan Times on Tuesday.

"Japan's recently passed defense and security legislation should be implemented transparently and in a way that is conducive to friendly relations among regional countries and to peace and stability in the region," Park says.

She adds that she wants to "create a virtuous cycle of trust building and increased cooperation," one of the reasons she is pushing for the Northeast Asia Peace and Cooperation Initiative (NAPCI).

Park goes on, "At the moment, consultations among the countries of the region are underway on a range of collaborative areas, including nuclear security, disaster management and health, and the accumulation of these experiences will also contribute to promoting global peace and cooperation."

Aside from the transparency of defense and security legislation, the South Korean president asks Japan to patch up the issue of women treated as slaves during the World War II.

Before and during the war, some 200,000 women - whom most came from Korea and China - were captured to work in brothels. They were used as sex slaves by the Japanese Imperial Army and were generally referred to as "comfort women".

"Last year, at this very podium, I stressed that sexual violence against women during armed conflicts, whenever or wherever it may have taken place, is unquestionably a violation of human rights and humanism," Park states.

"This year marks the 15th anniversary of the adoption of Security Council resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, and the international community should do justice to the occasion by paying greater attention to sexual violence against women in conflict situations."

She adds, "The most compelling reason is the fact that only a few of the victims of brutal sexual violence during World War II are still alive today."

"Solutions that can bring healing to their hearts need to be devised quickly, while these victims are still alive. The efforts of the UN High Commissioners of Human Rights and Special Rapporteurs on this issue must not be allowed to come to naught."

Meanwhile, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors have recently passed a resolution to create a memorial for comfort women. Inquirer.net reported on Wednesday that the resolution aims to honor the thousands of women victims of sex slavery during World War II.

The resolution to adopt a memorial for comfort women has been initiated by California politician and Supervisor Eric Mar from District 1. It also aims "to ensure that the plight and suffering of these girls and women will never be forgotten or erased from history."