When Abe was asked if the was any movement within the LDP caucus to get proposals together to review statements made, he replied, “We found no evidence of the coercion as it was first defined. I think we can say that there is no evidence to support this assertion.” As for reviewing statements made, he said, “We must think of it on the premise that the definition [of coercion] has changed [from “the narrow sense” to “the broad sense”]. When asked whether there is any concern that this might impact negatively upon relations with China and South Korea, he answered, “It goes without saying that the facts of the matter should be investigated. Japan is a free country, so I don’t think that there is anything wrong with this.”
Name
Shinzo Abe
Position
The Prime Minister
Party
The Liberal Democratic Party
Date of Speech
2007/3/1
Place of Speech
The Asahi Shimbun
Source
「強制性」解釈のズレ、波紋 対米韓で危機感も 慰安婦問題、安倍首相の発言 (Mismatch in interpretation of "coercion" created an uproar / A sense of crisis in terms of relationship with the US and Korea / the PM Abe's statement on the problem of the "comfort women")
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