The trial of a Japanese right-wing politician accused of defacing a statue honoring World War II comfort women continues to face delays after 13 years. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, March 13 (Korea Bizwire) — The trial of a Japanese right-wing politician accused of defacing a statue honoring World War II comfort women continues to face delays after 13 years, with the defendant failing to appear in court for the 27th time.
Suzuki Nobuyuki, 60, was absent from his first scheduled trial at the Seoul Central District Court on March 12, where he faces charges of defamation. Judge Lee Chun-keun presided over the hearing, which was postponed to April 30.
The case stems from a June 2012 incident when Suzuki allegedly attached a stake to the Peace Statue in front of the former Japanese Embassy in Seoul’s Jongno district. The stake bore the message “Takeshima is Japanese territory,” referring to the disputed islands known as Dokdo in Korea. The act was viewed as defaming the dignity of survivors of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery system.
Despite being indicted without detention in February 2013, Suzuki has never appeared in court since the first scheduled hearing in September of that year, even though he has properly received court summons.
Sources indicate that the Japanese government has not responded to South Korea’s Ministry of Justice’s request for criminal extradition.
The Statue of Peace was erected to commemorate the victims of sexual slavery by the Japanese military during World War II, a historical issue that continues to strain relations between South Korea and Japan.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
