Jung Min-ho has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2012, mostly covering social and political issues. He currently belongs to the Politics & City Desk where he covers topics such as health, labor and human rights. Prior to joining the team, he was responsible for covering North Korea and sports. His article about a biosecurity breach of Middle East respiratory syndrome won him an award from the Korea Science Journalists Association in 2016. He is also the co-author of the book, "Medical Pioneers of Korea" (2019). He served as the head of the international relations committee at the Journalists Association of Korea from 2021 to 2023.
'Comfort woman' statue removed in Philippines
A statue symbolizing “comfort women” in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul. Another comfort woman statue has been removed in the Philippines. Yonhap
By Jung Min-ho
By Jung Min-ho
A memorial statue for “comfort women,” the victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery, has been removed in the Philippines.
According to
new agency, the bronze statue of a young woman with fists resting on her lap was removed from a Catholic-run shelter for the elderly and the homeless in San Pedro, Laguna, Sunday, only two days after the statue was unveiled to the public.
It is unclear who is responsible for the decision.
Nuns at Mary Mother of Mercy shelter said the statue was removed without explanation or notification.
The move came after the Japanese embassy in Manila complained.
“We believe that the establishment of a comfort woman statue in other countries, including this case, is extremely disappointing,” the embassy reportedly said.
This is not the first time a comfort woman statue had been removed. Last year, a statue on Roxas Boulevard in Manila faced the same fate.
Japan plays an important role in infrastructure investment in the Philippines.
Following the decision, Lila Pilipina, an advocacy group for former Filipina comfort women, condemned the Japanese government.
As many as 200,000 Filipinas, Koreans and many other Asian women were forced to work in Japan's wartime military brothels.