Rally for ex-sex slaves marks 24th anniversary
About 1,000 activists and citizens participate in the weekly rally for victims of sexual slavery during World War II in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, Wednesday, the 24th anniversary of the rally. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
By Kim Se-jeong
A group of women forced into sexual slavery during World War II by Japan’s imperial military were joined Wednesday by supportive citizens to mark the 24th anniversary of a rally held every week outside the Japanese Embassy in Seoul.
Since the first rally was held, the elderly women and other activists have hoped that every gathering, held each Wednesday, would be the last and that Japan would apologize for its wartime atrocities sincerely and take legal responsibility.
However, these demands have not yet been met according to the victims, despite the Dec. 28 agreement reached between Korea and Japan to resolve the issue. Rather, the participants at this week’s rally renewed their campaign and vowed to continue in their struggle against the Japanese government.
On Dec. 28, the foreign ministers of Korea and Japan announced that Tokyo would pay $8.3 million to support the remaining 46 Korean victims of sexual abuse and that Korea would talk with civic groups to relocate the statue of a girl, a symbol of the victims, situated in front of the Japanese Embassy. The two sides also declared that the issue was resolved “finally and irreversibly.”
/ Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
The first rally was held on Jan. 8, 1992, almost five months after one victim, Kim Hak-soon, testified about her plight in public for the first time. The rally has become a symbol of the civil advocacy movement to preserve history in Korea. It also marked the longest held public protest on a single issue.
“The compromise by both foreign ministers was made without any consultation from the victims. We want the governments to renegotiate,” said Yoon Mee-hyang, head of the Korean Council for Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan, the organizer of the rally.
Civic groups in 13 other Korean cities and 45 cities in 12 other countries held their own rallies on Wednesday in support of the victims and to denounce the agreement.
The heads of 31 regional governments condemned President Park Geun-hye for the “failed deal” and demanded that it be renegotiated. They also said they will seek to set up their own comfort women statues and memorials in their regions as well. Currently, there are 27 located around Korea and abroad.
/ Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul