Jonghyun Remains Flawless; Critisizes the Government for not doing Enough for Comfort Women

[footballfina.livejournal.com]

Article: SHINee Jonghyun criticizes, "Does the government have any intention of solving the issue of comfort women?"

Source: Mydaily via Nate

His closing comment on his MBC FM4U radio, "Every year on March 1st, I think of our grandmothers who were forced into sex slavery by the Japanese soldiers. Nevermind the attitude of the Japanese government, I'm curious as to whether our government has any intention of solving this issue. I heard that there are about 55 remaining survivors and I wonder if we will be able to see them smiling brightly before they pass."


1. [+891, -114] I wonder if this will effect SHINee's Japanese promotions... either way, you are now hyung's national idol...

2. [+719, -129] Yoo Ah In would always go around on TV shows and SNS making these kinds of respectful statements but he ended up going the route of a celebrity police.. ㅋㅋ Jonghyun-ah, don't ever do that.. You live your life as amazingly as you are now ㅋ

3. [+501, -101] This makes me worried because SHINee is popular in Japan.

4. [+61, -17] Weird how no celebrity is talking about the Shinan salt water incident...

5. [+40, -5] He's trying to act like an enlightened citizen... when all you have to do is watch the news to see how much the government is doing for the comfort women. Jo Yoon Sun is raising awareness overseas and discussions are taking place with the UN. Instead, just because he doesn't know any of this, he acts as if the government is doing nothing.. ㅋㅋ A brainless clown.

6. [+40, -9] I don't think this is the right way to raise awareness. He should've just asked people to take an interest in the issue... why can he not say a word to the Japanese and instead he is criticizing the Korean government?

7. [+36, -4] What matters if he's got a smartphone when he doesn't watch any of the news, this fool tsk tsk tsk. Does he not know that our minister is raising awareness in UN discussions and everything else that is being done? Why criticize the government without checking what they are doing first? I don't like Park Geun Hye's government either but please deal with the facts before criticizing the government.

8. [+33, -6] Jonghyun-ah, do you not read the news??? Minister Yoon Byung Se mentioned the issue at the UN discussions today, the first to ever happen in history by a government. You think sitting there and criticizing the government will do anything?

9. [+25, -0] This article alone shows that our minister today talked about the issue. Don't run your mouth when you don't know anything. You're the one that will be saying arigato arigato when the Japanese fans show they like you while collecting their money.

10. [+22, -8] So what have you done for the comfort women except run your mouth?


Source: netizenbuzz

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Comments

[lazmy.livejournal.com]

i'm not going to pretend i know anything about the issue he's talking about but i will say that i admire his (seemingly) sincere interest in controversial current events.

[stoppedclock321.livejournal.com]

+1

mte, i have no idea what's going on but it's very good to see that he seems to care.

[katzsong.livejournal.com]

I do have a burning question on the Japan-Korea Treaty in 1965 and how the Korean government at that time manage the compensation that was given to the country (or they denied it at the time? Anyone can confirm?). While I know Japanese government is generally being quite indecisive on the matter, I'm also curious on how the local government (South Korea) is handling the matter. Other than trying to raise the issue at international forum, but do they have like a special fund or setting up a support system for these women?

(as for government of Indonesia, yeah...I don't think the compensation fund ever reached them. Nope)

[midnightindomie.livejournal.com]

I don't think Indonesia even talks about this stuff publicly. Even if they'd done something I don't think we'd ever get to hear about it.

[stoppedclock321.livejournal.com]

Apparently people are saying that the news about the gov't bringing it up came out AFTER Jonghyun made these comments?

still have no idea what's going on

[byeolbyeol.livejournal.com]

yeah, i read a handful of different people say that he made the comment like... either right at the end of february or on the 1st?

[leorizanzel.livejournal.com]

I feel like he wasn't saying, "Let's overlook the Japanese government", more like "We already know how the Japanese government feels and they're not doing anything about it; now we need to look at how the Korean government is treating the issue". He's definitely not absolving Japan of their fault in it, just trying to shift some attention to another factor in the situation. That's how I understood it and perhaps the translation just looks weird.

[erbalurbal.livejournal.com]

Spreading awareness isn't the same as the Korean government taking care of the victims. I'm not sure how they are being treated, but it must not be good enough.

[http://users.livejournal.com/__planitbremix/]

Did he just go against the popular views of South Korea in regards to comfort women?

[tempestdance.livejournal.com]

um he actually didn't?

[gray-fairy.livejournal.com]

Why the fuck are the netizens so pressed?

[couturevibes.livejournal.com]

IKR?! always pressed about something.

[tempestdance.livejournal.com]

JUST PUTTING IT OUT THERE THAT NATE ISN'T THE GREATEST SOURCE OF NETIZEN OPINIONS, ESPECIALLY POLITICAL ISSUES, AS IT'S BEEN FLOOED WITH ILBE BUGS THAT ARE VERY PRO-GOVERNMENT AND PRO-JAPAN (well really pro-anything that pisses koreans off, they're kinda weird in their mindset).

this is great of jonghyun to do, because while there have been discussions internationally at UN and even in US state congress, the current government (Park Geun Hye, the daughter of a former dictator and a Japanese lieutenant, what do you expect) has been very lukewarm about tackling issues that need to be tackled but will piss off Japan in the process, and actually very active in doing the opposite (like approving a new textbook that claims Kim Gu as a terrorist instead of a revolutionary etc) and Jonghyun has expressed his awareness and sadness over many societal issues and criticized the lack of any action from the higher ups. Yes it is true there are actions being taken. But it's very few who are doing anything and the government isn't certainly supporting it very much.

What's been going on with the comfort women (read: SEX SLAVEs, comfort women is too light of a term to describe what they've been through) is that Japan's been trying to evade the issue for decades, as far as claiming that these women are lying and they actually volunteered to serve and provide "comfort" for the Japanese soldiers back in the WWII and annexation of Korea. There are about 54 women still alive and haven't received their apology. Japan, unlike Germany, has not been punished for their war crimes (mainly because with Germany other European nations and USA were there to go through with the executions and war repentance while all of Asia that suffered from Japan were too weak themselves to do anything right after the war).

What Jonghyun is doing is very important, especially at his place. He's an idol who has a big influence on youth and the public in general, and they need to know that there are people in their country still suffering from tragedies of their past and still have not been given an apology. What needs to happen is that Japan needs to acknowledge their crimes and apologize (instead of spewing this ah it's a shame you think this happened crap and yet have its prime minister visit Yasukuni shrine that commemorates those who are most responsible for these war crimes. It sickens me that they are hiding their history under a rug at the expense of millions who have died and suffered under their regime.

[miwa201.livejournal.com]

at the same time tho, i don't understand why he focused on the korean government instead of the japanese? or has he already talked about the japanese government?

[zuluuluz.livejournal.com]

lol wtf is even happening

[zuluuluz.livejournal.com]

netizen number 5.............
gtfo

[couturevibes.livejournal.com]

10. [+22, -8] So what have you done for the comfort women except run your mouth?


LOL I cannot

[anconeous.livejournal.com]

As comfort women in my country still don't have any apology from Japan, I'm proud that Jonghyun's speaking up about it. Comfort women all across the Asia-Pacific region are dying out and still haven't gotten apology from Japan. He's an idol. For him to even mention this in a public platform is admirable in and of itself.

[ababobaby.livejournal.com]

IA

[jongkey1999.livejournal.com]

i don't know what to say...
At least he cares...?
I mean, i've never seen any other idol talk about political issues like this, and considering he's from SM, it's actually already kind of a big feat.

[ababobaby.livejournal.com]

fuck this shit i want people to start bringing this up again

even the japanese govnt still hasnt formally apologized to the women who were made
comfort women during the wwii as well

[torontok.livejournal.com]

Imma leave this link here for y'all.This tumblr user is pretty active in the protests for kroean comfort women and her posts are really informative.
http://peaceshannon.tumblr.com/tagged/comfort%20women

[hippodameia.livejournal.com]

This is an excellent, excellent blog. I'm so glad you linked to it! She doesn't just follow issues related to comfort women, though, so if anyone is interested in other social issues in Korea, this is a good place to get one perspective on them. If I recall correctly, the writer is a Korean adoptee with American parents and is involved with reconnecting Korean adoptees with their birth parents. So, I'm sure the issue of comfort women factors into that. Definitely check this out!!

[uguukawaii.livejournal.com]

its really cool + admirable how he speaks his mind and brings attention to issues like this. i dont feel like im properly educated on this issue to say anything valuable about it but i love him so much for even caring about women and speaking up for them? when so few of his peers would. hes really the idol who is doing the best with his position

[yakuniku-8.livejournal.com]

I don't think the Korean government does nothing for confort women, I think they are trying to aware people abroad about it. like they had a project in a famous french comics festival. it's a strange place to do that, I agree, but it was telling the story of those women on korean traditional paper drawings. moreover there was a little animation so there was a link with the festival. it's the Korean family minister who had this project. the problem is that I don't think it worked. when I did some research I saw that 10 000 japanese people signed a petition stating the festival was manipulated by the Korean government. and my Korean teacher said she read some articles about it but it was very nationalist. on the other hand I listen to the radio which sponsored the festival, they talked about it everyday but never about this subject. so I kind of think it just stayed a Korea/Japan problem and didn't make it more known... it's sad because in some way, if it's more famous on an international view, the Japanese government could be forced to answer.

[gathyou.livejournal.com]

Lol mentioning something at the UN definitively not solves it, but whatever
I don't know a lot about this issue, and especially not what the Korean government has done to them, but maybe Jonghyun was more wondering about national financial aids and help those victims could have received ?
Still cool that he cares about those subjects and adress them <3

[pigmi.livejournal.com]

oh wow, there was a gallery show here in NY a few days ago dedicated to comfort women, too. it focused on korean comfort women, but there were many victims all throughout asia / the pacific that still haven't gotten an apology or any sort of concession from either japan or their own government. ;-;

i'm glad he's bringing some awareness to it, sighs. though there is a difference between "running our mouth about it" instead of actually...doing shit lmfao.

[hitsujiga.livejournal.com]

i'm not entirely sure about this but in an older post on omona about the issue it was mentioned, that the korean government DID receive monetary compensation from japan (idr if recently or directly after the war) but the government failed to forward it to the victims and instead used it for other government-related things. idk if jjong knows about this much but it would kind of support his view on the whole issue.

i can see where netizens come from albeit their horrible wording. it's a really sensitive issue especially regarding what korean government did or did not do. and jjong just talking about it in his midnight radio show..idk it seems a bit misplaced?
what i can imagine is, that he knows he also has overseas listeners (also from japan) and i think he wanted to generally raise awareness, which i totally support.
for the wording 'nvm the attitude of the jp government' i will give jjong the benefit of doubt regarding the translation. i believe he implied..."regardless of or despite the jp government not apologizing also our own government is not doing enough (for jp to apologize / or not doing enough for the victims who still live here)." while it's kind of questionable if it was the right time and place to attack the government in this way...i still think he's right for doing so.

in the end raising awareness isn't really solving the problem (which netizens pointed out) but this applies to every social justice movement. and really - what can jjong himself do about it? - i really wonder what netizens expect him to do? running awareness projects directly involving japan or the victims or the korean government? i think it's a bit much to ask that from a sole korean citizen when netizens themselves are doing nothing to help the cause. and i think that's what jjong tried to do...remind the people that this is the responsibility of the korean government. so the problem at hand which we can't discuss/judge bc of lack of info: is the korean government doing enough or not?

[honeyfunnybunny.livejournal.com]

I didn't know much about comfort women in the past, since it's not spoken of or mentioned in classes(came across it for the first time in a fic, weird right?)and had to educate myself on it. Came across this yesterday, and for people who don't know much about it should watch: http://vimeo.com/61987450

this doesn't feel right....

[itsnvrcldinhell.livejournal.com]

this is just my personal opinion but i hate it when people talk shit about the government or anything really and individually don't aspire or actively do anything about it. I might come off like an ass but think I honestly believe complainers are just there to do one thing: complain. I don't believe their passionately enough to do something about an issue to really get up and come up with a plan and go through with it. I have love for jonghyun and i hope he takes upon himself to research, find other people just like him( im sure there are some) and come up with a plan, and actively commit to it. If not, oh well.

Re: this doesn't feel right....

[xkat-attackx.livejournal.com]

But isn't just being bold enough to bring it up on a public, radio broadcast in itself a form of activism? I think that bringing the issues to light are really important and is part of creating change. We don't know his life outside his work, so I don't think it's fair for us to say he's not doing anything, when he very well may be.

[mjspice.livejournal.com]

I'm glad he's talking about this issue. Netizen can GTFO.

[uledy.livejournal.com]

I wonder if he ever gets reprimanded for his political commentary or if management just lets it pass as his shtick or something. You know, like Minho is sporty bling, taemin dancing bling, key sassy bling, onew leader bling and Jjong political/opinionated bling.

Go ahead and speak your mind as always, bb.

[xkat-attackx.livejournal.com]

He is so flawless, so proud to call him my bias. Netizens can get GTFO. They always need to pick apart everything, ugh.

[kaylaa7x.livejournal.com]

i love that he continually speaks out about social issues. even if you don't agree you have to have at least a little respect for the fact that he's willing to do it. such a good kid, man