Yet another Korean 'comfort woman' dies
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Citizens pay silent tribute to sexual slavery victim, Park Suk-yi who died Tuesday, at the weekly Wednesday rally in front of the Japanese Embassy, central Seoul, Wednesday. / Yonhap
By Choi Ha-young
Park Suk-yi, a victim of sexual slavery by the Japanese military during World War II, passed away Tuesday night, aged 94, an advocacy group said Wednesday. Now, the number of surviving Korean victims is 39.
She had been receiving treatment at a hospital in Namhae, South Gyeongsang Province, since last year for pneumonia.
Born in 1923 in Naehae, Park was kidnapped by Japanese soldiers when she was 16 while digging for clams with her cousin near her home. She was exploited as a sexual slave in Manchuria, China, for seven years. She stayed in China after the nation’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule in 1945, and only returned home in 1948.
She registered as a sexual slavery victim in 2011. Since then, she actively gave lectures to young people about her tragic life and the importance of a sincere apology from the perpetrators. Despite her illness, she provided scholarships to students under financial hardship every year.
In her will, Park wished to be buried under the memorial statue established in “Suk-yi Park,” a park named after her in her hometown. A memorial altar was set up at Namhae Hospital.
With Park’s death, only 39 victims are still alive, out of the 238 who officially registered with the Korean government.