Key Figure Behind Comfort Women Apology, Author of the "Kono Statement"... Former Japanese Lawmaker Yohei Kono Passes Away
Passed Away at 89
From a Prominent Three-Generation Political Family
Served 14 Terms in the House and Retired from Politics in 2009
Yohei Kono, former Speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan, who officially acknowledged the state's responsibility for the mobilization of comfort women during the Japanese colonial period and offered a formal apology, has passed away at the age of 89.
According to Japanese media outlets such as NHK and Kyodo News, Kono was confirmed to have passed away on June 8, citing statements from those close to him. The news was widely reported on June 10.
Kono is a political figure whose name is deeply embedded in Korean society. On August 4, 1993, while serving as Chief Cabinet Secretary—the second-highest position in the Cabinet—he officially issued the so-called "Kono Statement," in which he acknowledged the Japanese military's organized involvement and expressed sincere remorse for the violation of the victims' dignity. At the time, he confronted the historical truth of the comfort women mobilization and explicitly included the Japanese government's apology in the statement, which is regarded as a symbolic milestone in Korea-Japan relations.
Born in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1937, Kono came from one of Japan's most prominent political families. His father, Ichiro Kono, served as Minister of Agriculture and Forestry and Minister of Construction, while his uncle, Kenzo Kono, was President of the House of Councillors. His eldest son, Taro Kono, is currently a member of the House of Representatives and has served as Minister of Digital Affairs, among other cabinet positions.
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Kono entered politics in 1967, inheriting his father's constituency as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). He went on to win 14 consecutive elections for the House of Representatives, establishing himself as a political heavyweight. From 2003, he served as Speaker of the House of Representatives—the lower house—for about five and a half years. In 2009, he announced he would not seek re-election and retired from politics.
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