Former sex slave urges Japan's apology

Kim Bok-dong, a victim of sex slavery during Japanese colonial rule, witnesses her experiences at George Washington University, Tuesday (local times). / Yonhap

By Lee Min-hyung

Kim Bok-dong, a victim of sex slavery during Japanese colonial rule, has urged the Tokyo government to apologize for its past misdeeds.

“I was too exhausted to stand up after serving the Japanese soldiers all day long,” Kim, 89, said Tuesday, in a lecture hosted by the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs.

“The Tokyo government should have a more positive attitude and help regain our impaired reputation.”

She said she was forced into military brothels at the age of 14 and was a sex slave in China, Indonesia and Singapore as Japanese soldiers moved through Asia.

Japan colonized Korea from 1910-1945, when some 200,000 women are estimated to have served as sex slaves. Only 49 victims are alive.