Prosecution Seeks 1 Year 6 Months Prison Sentence for Former Professor Ryu Seok-chun over 'Comfort Women Prostitution' Remarks

The prosecution has requested a prison sentence for former Yonsei University professor Ryu Seok-chun, who was prosecuted for making remarks during a university lecture suggesting that Japanese military comfort women were a form of prostitution.

Former Yonsei University Professor Ryu Seok-chun. [Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 15th, at a trial presided over by Judge Jeong Geum-young of the Seoul Western District Court Criminal Division 4, the prosecution demanded a sentence of 1 year and 6 months imprisonment for former professor Ryu.

The prosecution stated, "The defendant has never conducted research on comfort women nor confirmed specific historical facts, yet made such statements. Considering the content and circumstances of the remarks, they appear to be defamatory rather than scholarly comments."

They added, "Without any proper verification procedures regarding comfort women, distorted facts were taught in lectures, causing great mental distress to the victims." The prosecution also viewed former professor Ryu’s claims that the executives of the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan (the predecessor of the Justice and Memory Foundation) were cadres of the Unified Progressive Party and followers of North Korea as defamatory, citing specific falsehoods.

In response, former professor Ryu argued, "The university classroom is the freest space for expressing opinions in this world, and I cannot understand a society where even discussing and debating various knowledge and positions about the Japanese colonial era and comfort women with students is not allowed."

Former professor Ryu was indicted on charges of defaming comfort women victims by making remarks implying that comfort women were a form of prostitution during a sociology lecture at Yonsei University in September 2019. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 10 next year.

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