Iconic ex-sex slavery victim Kim Bok-dong dies at 93

President Moon Jae-in pays his last respects to the late former sex slavery victim Kim Bok-dong at her memorial altar set up at Yonsei Severance Hospital in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, Tuesday. She dedicated herself to seeking a sincere apology from Japan for its wartime atrocities and advocating for women’s human rights. / Korea Times photo by Ryu Hyo-jin

Funeral procession to pass by Japanese embassy

By Kim Jae-heun

Kim Bok-dong, a victim of wartime sexual slavery who dedicated her life to testifying against the brutality of Japanese imperialism before and during World War II, and advocating human rights, passed away Monday. She was 93.

According to the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance, an organization that represents the victims including Kim, her time of death was 10:41 p.m., Monday, at Yonsei Severance Hospital in Seoul.

Her death left the number of surviving victims of sex slavery at 23.

“Kim expressed her anger toward the Japanese government until the last, saying how could it have acted as it did,” said Yoon Mi-hyang, head of the council, delivering her last words. According to Yoon, Kim had consistently demanded a sincere apology from Japan for its wartime atrocities.

“However, when she passed away, she had a peaceful look on her face and greeted all the activists before she left us,” Yoon said. Kim also asked the activists to keep supporting schools for ethnic Koreans in Japan, according to Yoon.

She donated money for ethnic Korean children in Japan as well as to charities, and only had 1.6 million won left when she died, Yoon said.

Kim was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2017 and underwent several operations and different treatments, but the cancer spread to other organs.

Kim was the fourth of a family of six girls, and was only 14 when Japanese soldiers took her to a frontline brothel in 1940.

The soldiers first told her she would be sent to a military uniform factory in Japan, but later threatened that they would evict her family from their village if she didn't go with them.

Kim was forced to have sex with Japanese soldiers in China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, before being returned home in 1947.

After the sexual slavery issue was first made public in 1991 by another victim Kim Hak-soon, Kim Bok-dong revealed her story to the world in 1992.

Since then she has testified about her experiences at various occasions overseas including the United Nations Human Rights Council in 1993. She also met up with other victims and civic groups in the United States, Japan and Europe afterward.

In 2012, Kim launched the Butterfly Fund with another ex-comfort woman Gil Won-ok to support wartime rape victims across the world.

While fighting cancer last September, she went to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building to protest an agreement the previous Park Geun-hye administration had reached with Japan to put an end to wartime sex slavery issues in return for 1 billion yen to compensate the survivors.

A memorial altar was set up at the Severance Hospital, and Kim's funeral is scheduled for Friday. Her funeral procession will pass by the Japanese Embassy, where she and other victims have held their weekly Wednesday Rally since 1992 calling for a sincere apology from Tokyo and compensation for the victims.

Many people expressed their condolences, from politicians and activists to citizens ― President Moon Jae-in paid his respects at the memorial altar Tuesday. Before the visit, he wrote on Facebook that she did not remain a victim but led the activities to reveal hidden history.

“You dedicated yourself to helping people regain human dignity,” he said. “I'll fulfill my duty for the 23 surviving victims.”