By Kim Se-jeong
Ten victims of forced sexual slavery committed by the Japanese military before and during World War II donated 5 million won ($4,560) for victims of an earthquake in Nepal, Tuesday.
They are among 53 Korean survivors of sexual slavery, and live together in a shelter called the House of Sharing in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province.
The donations from each victim varied, ranging from 100,000 won to 2 million won. Yi Ok-seon and Kim Gun-ja were the biggest donors, each offering 2 million won.
The money was given to Good Hands, a Buddhist NGO based in Seoul which carries out overseas humanitarian aid projects. Three victims visited the NGO to deliver the money.
“They know they were helped a lot in their lives,” Ahn Shin-kwon, director of the House of Sharing said. “Especially when they traveled to the United States over the sexual slavery issue, they were helped a lot by ethnic Korean communities and others. They remembered the help they received when they saw the earthquake on TV and said they wanted to help.” None of the donators were available for interview.
The magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit Nepal in late April. The disaster’s death toll has so far reached at least 8,000 with more than twice as many injured.
The 10 sexual slavery victims are among at least 200,000 Asian women forced to provide sex to Japanese troops. They are in their eighties or older and their deteriorating health has pressed the urgency of the issue.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been adamant in denying the Japanese military’s involvement. Although he sympathized with the victims, he argued the women were prostitutes, earning money for their actions.
Many in Korea urged Abe to offer a formal apology during his recent visit to the United States, which he did not do. That inspired others to act. A group of 187 professors teaching Asian and Japanese studies around the world issued a statement one week after Abe’s visit urging him to recognize Japan’s past wrongdoings.