THE KUKMIN DAILY

Korean Diakonia (Rev. Kim Sam-hwan, executive director), the human rights committee of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Korea Tonghap (Rev. Jeong Yeong-taek, moderator) and other organizations announced a statement on June 8 urging the enactment of a law to support atomic bomb victims and their descendants.

“There are presently 2,584 survivors remaining of the first generation of Korean victims caught in the atomic bombing 70 years ago of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan; and their descendants are victims as well, damaged mentally and physically by their inheritance of disease, poverty and isolation,” they said in the statement.

“The Korean government has never to this day carried out a comprehensive investigation to determine the actual extent of damage done to Koreans by the atomic bombing, nor has it investigated the situation of the bombing victims’ descendants. Instead, it has merely relied for 70 years on Japanese research documents, and followed the Japanese government’s policies and procedures,” they pointed out. “In both the 17th and 18th National Assemblies, proposals were introduced for special laws to support the atomic bomb victims, but they came to nothing due to a passive attitude and lack of concern by both the Assembly and the government.”

In fact, since December 2012, four different law bills on this issue have been submitted to the National Assembly: a “Proposed Special Law to Probe the Situation of Korean Atom Bomb Victims and to Support Them,” a “Proposed Special Law to Support Korean Atom Bomb Victims and Their Children,” a “Proposed Special Law to Support Atom Bomb Victims and Their Children,” and a “Proposed Special Law to Support Atom Bomb Victims and Their Descendants.” But none of these is even being discussed in the subcommittee that screens law bills.

“The issue of the Korean atomic bomb victims is not a matter related to the past, or to history, nor is it a problem related to specific victims; it is an issue of human rights and life that must be dealt with to set our history straight,” the statement said. “We hope that the government and the National Assembly will accept the nation’s Constitutional responsibility with regard to the atom bomb victims; will enact a special law and investigate the situation of the victims; and at the same time, will make their best diplomatic efforts to move the government of Japan to apologize and compensate for the damages.”

Korean Diakonia and others had planned to demonstrate on June 9, to call for enactment of a special law, but the plan was canceled due to the unsettled social atmosphere related to the spread of MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome).

Reporter Lee Saya (Isaiah@kmib.co.kr), with Marion Kim (marionkkim@icloud.com)


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