'Comfort Women Statue Stake Vandalism' Japanese Far-Right Figure Absent Again... 9 Years of Stalemate

Statue of a Girl in front of the Former Japanese Embassy, Jongno-gu, Seoul / Photo by Honam Moon munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] The trial has been stalled for nine years as Nobuyuki Suzuki, a Japanese right-wing figure accused of 'stake terrorism' against the comfort women statue, once again failed to appear in court.

On the morning of the 25th, Judge Kim Sang-il of the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 1 stated at Suzuki's trial, where he is charged with defamation and other offenses, "We requested judicial cooperation (from Japan) to summon him, but the request was not delivered and the defendant was absent," and postponed the trial date to March 10 next year.

Previously, in June 2012, Suzuki was brought to trial on charges including damaging the honor of the surviving victims by tying a stake inscribed with "Takeshima is Japanese territory" to the comfort women statue in front of the Japanese Embassy in Jongno-gu, Seoul.

Additionally, in May 2015, he was further indicted in April 2016 for sending by international mail a model of the comfort women statue insulting the victims and a white stake model inscribed with "Takeshima is Japan's inherent territory" to 'Nanum House' in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province.

The court recommended the Ministry of Justice to request extradition of the criminal through the prosecution, and the Ministry of Justice requested extradition of Suzuki from the Japanese government, but the Japanese side has reportedly only repeatedly responded that it is "under review."

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