Former sex slaves victimized by Japanese soldiers during Japan’s colonization of Asia may be one step closer to receiving a long-awaited apology.

Galvanized by recent back-pedaling by Japanese politicians and businessmen that sought to deny any Japanese military or governmental involvement in the coercion of sex slaves during World War II, the House Foreign Affairs Committee passed House Resolution 121 39-2 on June 26. The non-binding resolution, which calls upon Japan to unambiguously acknowledge and apologize for the coercion of “comfort women,” can now be presented to the House for a vote.

Daniel Kohns, communications director for Congressman Mike Honda (D-California), who is sponsoring the bill, told KoreAm that Honda expects the resolution to easily pass in the full House.

“[The bill’s] passage out of committee is reflective that the majority of his colleagues are committed to upholding universal human rights,” said Kohns.

Honda feels that transparency and openness will strengthen democratic trends in Japan, leading to even stronger ties between the U.S. and Japan. 

However, in a letter sent to five U.S. representatives on June 22, Japanese Ambassador Ryozo Kato said passage of the resolution “will almost certainly have lasting and harmful effects” on the countries’ current friendship. It also threatened that passage of the resolution could put Japan’s support for U.S. policy in Iraq at risk.

—   Nina Ahn