Japanese Lawmaker Who Mocked Hanbok Makes Another Controversial Remark Over Removal of Memorial for Joseon Laborers

Sukita Mio Lawmaker "No Need for False Monuments"
Seokyeongdeok "Absurd Remarks Denying History of Japanese Forced Mobilization"

Mio Sugita, a member of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party known for her far-right political stance, has expressed support for the removal of a memorial dedicated to Korean laborers, following her past ridicule of women wearing hanbok.

Professor Seokyeongdeok from Sungshin Women's University stated on Facebook on the 5th, "A Japanese right-wing lawmaker who caused a major controversy in the past by mocking women dressed in hanbok has once again sparked controversy with another outrageous remark."

Assemblyman Sugita Mio. [Image source=Professor Seokyungdeok's Facebook]

Earlier, on the 3rd, Sugita posted on her X (formerly Twitter) account an article about the removal of the Korean laborers' memorial in Gunma Prefecture, commenting, "This is really good." Sugita stated, "I hope the statues or monuments of comfort women and Korean Peninsula laborers in Japan will follow suit," and argued, "False memorials are not needed in Japan."

Along with this, she uploaded another photo described as a statue of forced laborers (the Japanese term for Korean forced laborers during the Japanese occupation) located in Kyoto, adding, "It is private property, so it cannot be removed," and "I hope this one can be removed quickly as well." The photo she posted appears to be the statue of Korean forced laborers erected in Kyoto in 2016, commissioned by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and the Federation of Korean Trade Unions.

[Image source=Sukita Mio uiwon X]

Professor Seo criticized Sugita's remarks, saying, "This is an outrageous denial of the entire history of forced mobilization by Japan and the Japanese military 'comfort women' victims," and added, "This is why historical education from a young age is truly important. People like Sugita emerge because they grew up without properly learning about Japan's history as an aggressor." He further emphasized, "Sugita must properly study history from now on, deeply reflect, and issue a sincere public apology."

Previously, in 2016, Sugita caused controversy at the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women by writing that Korean-Japanese women wearing chima jeogori (traditional Korean dress) and women dressed in Ainu attire from Hokkaido were "completely lacking in dignity" and that "just breathing the same air as them is unpleasant."

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