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| Song Hye-kyo |
Song Hye-kyo, the star of the megahit drama "Descendants of the Sun," received a thank-you letter from a former forced laborer, according to her agency, Monday.
The letter, released by a civic group for victims of forced labor under Japan's occupation of Korea (1910-45), thanked the actress for her "great work that even the country's president couldn't have done."
It was penned by Yang Geum-deok, an 88-year-old woman who had been deceived and forced to work at the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries aircraft manufacturing plant at Nagoya at age 14,
Song recently rejected a modeling offer from Mitsubishi Motors, as Mitsubishi Group is involved in a lawsuit over allegedly forcing Korean laborers to work for it during the occupation.
"Hearing the news, I shed tears. I was so happy as if a big nail wedged deep in my heart has finally been pulled out," said Yang. "I thank you for your courageous act and I feel that I could even fly if only I had wings."
Yang, who had been deceived by the Japanese head of her school, was sent to the forced labor camp with 138 students from other schools in 1944 and forced to work for the aircraft manufacturer for nearly 18 months without pay.
She also wrote that she was rescued but that six other Korean students died in an earthquake that hit the plant six months after their arrival.
"What matters to me and other survivors of forced labor is not the money. My first and foremost wish is to receive an apology from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Mitsubishi. Without it, I cannot rest in peace," said Yang, pledging to fight until her death.
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