Yohei Kono, Former Japanese Politician Who Apologized for 'Comfort Women' Abuses, Dies at 89

Yohei Kono, a prominent member of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party, died of old age Monday at 89. As chief Cabinet secretary under Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa in 1993, Kono issued a historic government apology to tens of thousands of so-called "comfort women"—Asian women forced into sexual slavery by Japan's wartime military—following a government investigation. The statement expressed Japan's "sincere apologies and remorse" and became a foundation for Japan's broader 1995 wartime apology by Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama. Both statements were internationally regarded as signs Japan had come to terms with its wartime past and helped improve relations with China, South Korea, and other Asian neighbors. Throughout his career, Kono championed stable ties with Japan's Asian neighbors and served in key posts including speaker of the lower house and LDP president before retiring in 2009. However, his apology has become increasingly unpopular among Japanese conservatives and faced growing criticism during nationalist Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's leadership, with some contending it encouraged subsequent diplomatic demands from South Korea.