Lawmaker seeks greater government support for 'comfort women' statues

The "comfort women" statue in front of the former site of the Japanese Embassy. / Yonhap

By Lee Han-soo

A lawmaker submitted an amendment bill Wednesday to boost government support for “comfort women” statues built by civic groups.

The bill from Kim Hae-young, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), backs ― on request ― sculptures related to comfort women.

If the bill passes, civic groups will be able to request government support for a statue through the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. A panel will review the request and, once approved, the minister can make an official request to the local municipal government.

“I submitted the bill after watching the struggle in the establishment of the comfort women statue in Busan,” Kim said. “If the amendment is passed, organizations that are planning to install the sculpture related to the comfort women issue can make an inquiry to the MOGEF.”

Historians estimate that up to 200,000 women, mainly from Korea, which was a Japanese colony from 1910 to 1945, were forced to work in frontline brothels for Japanese soldiers during World War II. But Japan has long attempted to water down the atrocity.