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| Four students pose in T-shirts to promote their blog, www.justiceforcomfortwomen.org, which aims to raise awareness about the survivors of sexual slavery perpetrated by the Japanese military during World War II. From left are Hannah Lee of the University of Southern California, Alberta Yoo of Yongsan International School of Seoul, Jessie Park of Williston-Northampton School and Kim Dong-ho of the University of Pennsylvania. / Courtesy of Kim Dong-ho |
Alberta Yoo, three friends translate, distribute book about ‘comfort women'
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| Mike Honda, a U.S. congressman from California, holds a book "Touch-Me-Nots" at the Cannon House Office Building in Washington, D.C., July 6. He sent the photo to Alberta Yoo, a student at the Yongsan International School of Seoul, and three of her friends who helped translate the book, which tells the story of "comfort women," into English. / Courtesy of Mike Honda |
Alberta Yoo, 17, a student at Yongsan International School of Seoul, has been working with three of her friends to raise awareness around the world about the suffering of the "comfort women," a euphemism for sex slaves abused by Japanese soldiers during World War II.
The three are Kim Dong-ho, 19, a University of Pennsylvania student; Hannah Lee, 19, a University of Southern California student; and Jessie Park, 18, a Williston-Northampton School student.
Most recently, the four distributed the translated version of the book, "Touch-Me-Nots," which was written by Korean author Yoon Jung-mo.
They proposed the project to the House of Sharing, a shelter for the surviving comfort women in Korea, where the students have regularly done volunteer work. Upon accepting the offer, the shelter recommended Yoon's book.
Yoo said she and her friends wanted to have literature which people around the world can read like "The Diary of Anne Frank," a recommended book on student reading lists.
"We resented that a Japanese book titled So Far from the Bamboo Grove, which portrays Korean people as assaulters from a Japanese girl's perspective without providing the historical background of Japanese colonial rule, was adopted as reading material in the United States," Ahn Shin-kwon, head manager of House of Sharing, told The Korea Times.
The Japanese book, an autobiographical novel written by Yoko Kawashima Watkins, a Japanese-American writer, is about the ordeal of an 11-year-old Japanese girl trying to escape with her family from Korea in the last days of World War II.
The book was also published in Korea under the title of "Yoko Story" in 2005 but was banned soon after because the book depicted Korean people as villains only focusing on the period of history when the Japanese empire collapsed. Despite the ban, the book was used as reading material in the U.S. until 2006. The book was finally removed from the reading list in 2008 at the request of the Korean-American community.
"We felt the need to tell the world about our painful history involving war crimes through a children's book. And we want to recommend ‘Touch-Me-Nots' to students," Ahn added.
"Touch-Me-Nots" tells the story of a young Korean girl who was kidnapped and forced into sexual slavery in her early teens during the 1910-45 Japanese colonial rule of the peninsula. It was written from her point of view.
"I hope that the book could be designated as reading material for students in the U.S.," Yoo said.
The students helped the book get translated into English in cooperation with the shelter and other volunteers.
Funded by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, they could print 1,000 English versions of the book and have sent about 100 copies to more than 28 schools and human rights institutions as well as professors and politicians in 20 countries.
The schools include Harvard University, Cornell University and the University of Chicago.
Some professors and politicians, including Mike Honda, U.S. congressman from California, who received the book and the students' letters, sent replies saying they support the students' activities.
The students wrote in the letter, "It is our great honor to present you with ‘Touch-Me-Nots,' which is an account of the sexual abuse perpetrated by the Japanese Imperial Army as told by a girl. Please join us via our website, justiceforcomfortwomen.org, with your photo holding this book."
Led by Yoo, they launched a blog last year, where they upload online news regarding comfort women.
The members also promote domestic and international performances featuring comfort women through the blog. According to Yoo, they currently have 46 followers and have visitors from around 80 countries.
"There are a lot of Japanese right-wing activists that comment sarcastically as well," Yoo said.
In addition to the blog, they took part in an exhibition under the theme of "Hero" organized by a volunteer group, Art & Love, last August.
The students painted portraits of wartime sexual slavery victims and exhibited them in the lobby of the National Theater of Korea on Aug. 5 to promote awareness of the trafficking of women and young girls as part of the sexual enslavement committed by the Japanese military.
As part of efforts to raise funds, they also designed a bracelet promoting the comfort women issue and have been selling them for 2,000 won each.
"I really want to see that the problem is solved before we lose all the surviving victims," Yoo said. "I will keep trying to make people all over the world become constantly aware of the issue so that the matter could be settled earlier."
