Tomiichi Murayama, the 81st Prime Minister of Japan, has officially apologized for Japan’s colonial rule and aggression through the ‘Murayama Statement’ released on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II during his term. After retirement, he served as the chairman of the Asian Women's Fund, established to support victims of comfort women. He also held the chairmanship of the Association to Facilitate Normalization between Japan and the DPRK for 15 years.