Another Japan's sexual slavery victim dies

Protesters hold up banners stating, “We will not forgive Abe’s politics,” in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, Sunday. The group is against Japanese rearmament and possible militarism. / Yonhap

By Lee Kyung-min

Park Yoo-nyun, 94, one of the women who suffered during Japan’s wartime sexual enslavement of women across Asia has died, according to a civic group, Sunday.

She was the eighth such Korean victim to have died this year. With her death, of the 238 government-registered such victims, only 47 remain alive, most of them aged 80 or older with deteriorating health conditions.

According to the Korean Council for Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan, Park died Saturday at the home of her stepson in Arizona where she had moved to in 2007.

During her stay there, she had been hospitalized for lung and heart conditions, and suffered four emergency episodes this year alone, according to the group.

“Her condition significantly declined this year, and she decided to choose the comfort of her family instead of hospital treatment,” an official from the group said.

Park was forced into sexual slavery from 1941 to 1945 from the age of 19. Park and her friends reportedly visited the port city seeking to become nurses for the Japanese Army.

She was transported to Singapore shortly before being released free in 1945 following Japan’s defeat in World War II.

She immediately returned to Busan, and moved to Gyeonggi Province and resided there until 2007. Park will be buried in a park near son’s home.