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| Lew Seok-choon, a sociology professor of Yonsei University. / Yonhap |
By Jun Ji-hye
Lew Seok-choon, a sociology professor of Yonsei University in Seoul, is facing mounting criticism for repeating his controversial arguments that Korean victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery were "kind of prostitutes," in his contribution to Japan's conservative magazine, Hanada.
Last September the renowned right-wing scholar called Korean sexual slavery victims "prostitutes" during a school lecture, denying that the Japanese military forced them to work in brothels during World War II.
The university's disciplinary committee gave him a one-month suspension for making the remarks.
In a contribution to be published in the August issue of the Japanese right-wing magazine, Lew claims the school's disciplinary action against him was unjust because it was a "fabricated case aimed at suppressing academic freedom and a new interpretation of the wartime sexual slavery issue," according to the magazine's website, Friday.
His controversial arguments included that Korea's assessment of Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule had been mostly wrong.
He cited several examples, including one that Korean laborers forced to work in Japanese factories during the colonial era were not actually conscripted for forced labor, but had volunteered to work there to make money.
He made a similar argument in relation to sexual slavery victims, saying they were not forcibly sent to the military brothels, but were swindled by sex traffickers while seeking jobs.
Regarding the issue, a Naver user with ID rhkd**** wrote, "Yonsei University should fire Lew, and the government should expel him from the country."
A Twitter user with ID Kev**** wrote, "I want a person like Lew to become a Japanese citizen and live in that country for his entire life."
Lew's arguments were in stark contrast to the testimony given by surviving victims of the wartime sexual slavery, including Kim Bok-dong, that the women were forcibly taken to the military brothels.
Kim said during a news conference in Japan in April 2015, "I even tried to kill myself at the brothel, but failed to do so. I had no choice but to do as I was told to avoid being beaten."
Kim died in January last year.
