Nikkei reported from Seoul that legislation co-sponsored by National Assembly Speaker Moon and 13 other politicians for offering compensation to former requisitioned workers through soliciting donations from Japanese and local companies was, in effect, scrapped since the final parliamentary session for incumbent lawmakers ended yesterday. Although the bill was submitted to the assembly last December, it was never deliberated as there was strong opposition from the victims and their supporters. The paper projected that it is unlikely to be submitted again given that 9 out of the 14 legislators who sponsored it are expected to retire.   

Meanwhile, all national dailies separately reported from Seoul that on Wednesday local prosecutors raided the office of a civic group supporting former comfort women on suspicion of embezzlement and breach of trust. One of the elderly victims openly complained that donations for the comfort women sent to the group have been misused by its representatives.