'Korea, Begging Group' Insult by City Councilor... Even Japanese Governor Says "Unforgivable"

"Comfort Women Are Prostitutes" Mocked by Japanese City Councilor
Amid Controversy, Says "Personal Opinions Are Free"

Following criticism from the city council, local government leaders have also voiced their condemnation of a Japanese city councilor who described Korea as a "begging group" and referred to Japanese military comfort women during the Japanese colonial period as "prostitutes."

According to the Tokyo Shimbun on the 19th, Toyohito Ikeda, governor of Kagawa Prefecture in Shikoku, Japan, stated at a press conference the previous day that he could not forgive the discriminatory remarks made by Masanori Kishiue, a city councilor of Kanonji City in Kagawa Prefecture, as they "damage human dignity and can incite discriminatory attitudes." He added, "We will continue activities to broaden understanding through training and lectures," and emphasized, "We must create a society that respects each other's human rights."

City Councilor Masanori Kishiue. [Image source=Official website of Kanonji City Council, Japan]

Earlier, Kishiue, a member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account about historical issues between Korea and Japan. In his post, he mocked comfort women by saying, "They earned a lot of money even as prostitutes," and disparaged Korea as "a group that can do nothing but beg."

When the remarks sparked controversy, Kazuyo Shinohara, then chairperson of the city council, stated on the 29th of last month, "This cannot be overlooked," and added, "There is a lack of awareness as a city councilor. Discriminatory remarks are unacceptable," issuing a stern warning. Subsequently, the city council passed a resolution with a majority in favor recommending Kishiue's resignation.

However, Kishiue rejected the city council's resignation recommendation resolution on the same day, saying, "It has no legal binding," and refused to resign. Regarding the content of his X posts, he said, "They were not good, but individual opinions are free."

The Statue of Peace in front of the former Japanese Embassy in Jongno-gu, Seoul.

Meanwhile, Kanonji City was the first in Japan in 2017 to amend its park-related ordinance to ban hate speech and impose a fine of up to 50,000 yen (approximately 450,000 won) for violations. However, this ordinance applies only to hate speech within parks.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.