Interview'Don’t wait until we are all gone': Former sex slaves demand justice now

Lee Young-soo, a 97-year-old survivor of Japan’s wartime sex slavery and one of the most vocal advocates of victims, poses before an interview with The Korea Times at Heeum, the museum of the wartime atrocities, in Daegu, March 19. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Lee Young-soo slams stalled reparations, saying justice can’t come from silence money

With only seven known survivors of Japan’s wartime sex slavery still alive in Korea, the urgency to resolve the issue is mounting.

For 97-year-old Lee Young-soo, one of the most vocal advocates among the victims, which Japan euphemistically calls "comfort women," time is running out — but justice still feels out of reach.

During World War II, the Japanese military forcibly conscripted tens of thousands of young women to serve as sex slaves for soldiers on the front lines. Many were deceived with false promises of employment or education, only to endure relentless sexual violence, physical abuse and deep, lasting psychological trauma.

Even at nearly 100 years old, Lee vividly remembers the moment she was abducted when she was just 14 years old.

That night, while sleeping at her home, she noticed a soldier pressing down on a young girl’s neck outside of her house. The girl began signaling to her.

"At first, I thought she was just trying to get my attention for fun," Lee recalled.

But when she stepped outside, Lee was dragged away into the night by the soldier, not knowing where she was being taken.

"It was dark. I had no idea where I was going," she said.

She was captured by the soldier outside and transported by train to a Japanese military unit in Taiwan.

Lee has been speaking publicly since 1992, challenging societal stigma. Since then, she has remained at the forefront of a movement demanding a full and formal apology from the Japanese government and the resolution of one of the darkest legacies of Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule over Korea.

But more than 30 years after her first testimony, little has changed.

Lee Yong-soo, a survivor of Japan’s wartime sex slavery, shows a photo taken with former President Yoon Suk Yeol during an interview with The Korea Times at Heeum, the museum of military sexual slavery by Japan, in Daegu, March 19. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

"I was visited by many politicians and presidential candidates over the years, all promising to resolve the issue, especially during election season," Lee said. "But none of them have ever followed through."

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was recently ousted over his Dec. 3 martial law imposition, also visited Lee during his candidacy.

"He came to Daegu and said, ‘How could this not be resolved yet? I’ll fix it.’ But nothing happened," Lee said, with frustration and disappointment.

With Yoon’s impeachment, another promise to resolve the sex slavery issue has been left unfulfilled. For survivors like Lee, the focus is no longer on who leads the country.

"It doesn’t matter who it is anymore," she said. "What matters is that someone, anyone in the government, steps up and acts, before it’s too late."

As the number of survivors shrinks each year, the urgency to address the sex slavery issue intensifies.

Following the death in February of Gil Won-ok, another victim and a prominent activist who dedicated her life to raising awareness of the atrocities, only seven known survivors remain.

The passing of outspoken figures like Gil has left a significant void in the movement, making it increasingly difficult to maintain momentum in the push for historical accountability and reparations. Public attention to the issue has also waned in recent years.

For the few survivors still living, time is running out. Their calls for justice and formal acknowledgment have become more urgent than ever.

Lee Yong-soo, a victim of Japan's wartime sex slavery, bids farewell during the funeral ceremony of fellow victim Gil Won-ok at Incheon Red Cross Hospital, Feb. 18. Yonhap

Controversial deal

The Korean and Japanese governments reached an agreement on Dec. 28, 2015, with then-Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and his Japanese counterpart, Fumio Kishida, announcing what they called a "final and irreversible" resolution to the sex slavery issue. As part of the agreement, Japan pledged 1 billion yen ($7 million) to a Korean foundation to support the surviving victims.

However, the agreement was made without consulting the victims themselves, drawing widespread criticism and sparking public backlash.

The agreement especially faced criticism for including a clause in which the Korean government pledged to refrain from criticizing Japan over the issue in the international arena. Many viewed this as an attempt to silence advocacy efforts and downplay the survivors’ suffering. Critics further condemned the deal for trying to settle the immense trauma endured by the victims since childhood with a 1 billion yen payout.

According to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, a total of 100 individuals — including 35 surviving victims and 65 bereaved families — received compensation through the fund. Payments were administered by the Reconciliation and Healing Foundation, which was created to manage the disbursement.

However, the foundation was dissolved in 2018 under the Moon Jae-in administration, which declared that the 2015 agreement failed to address the core issues surrounding Japan’s wartime sexual violence.

Since then, approximately 6 billion won from Japan’s contribution remains unused, with the government still undecided on how to allocate the remaining funds.

Lee has consistently rejected the 2015 agreement, criticizing the 1 billion yen fund as an attempt to silence victims rather than deliver justice.

"The money should be returned to Japan," she said firmly. "What we need is real reparation — not hush money."

Lee Yong-soo, a survivor of Japan’s wartime sex slavery, looks at a photo of herself with other victims in the yard of Heeum, the museum of military sexual slavery by Japan, in Daegu, March 19. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

More than just compensation

To the survivors and their advocates, compensation is not just about financial assistance. It is a symbolic act of accountability.

"There’s no other way to represent the seriousness of this issue without money," said Phyllis Kim, executive director of the U.S.-based Comfort Women Action for Redress and Education (CARE).

With most victims now deceased and those responsible no longer alive, Kim stressed that financial compensation holds significant symbolic value — not merely as material support, but as a formal acknowledgment of Japan’s wartime responsibility.

"For this reason, compensation remain a central part of resolving the comfort women issue," she said. "It’s not just about the money. It’s about Japan recognizing its wrongdoing through a meaningful and concrete gesture."

Kim also argued that the issue should not be viewed solely as a bilateral dispute between Korea and Japan, but as a universal human rights concern rooted in the systemic abuse of women during times of war.

"This isn’t just a Korean issue or a matter of diplomacy between two countries," she said. "It’s a global issue. Sexual violence against women continues to occur in conflicts around the world even today."

She added that Japan’s response to the issue has the potential to send a powerful global message — much like Germany’s acknowledgment of its past human rights violations — by setting an international precedent for accountability and historical reckoning.

Photos of victims of Japan’s wartime sex slavery are displayed at Heeum, the museum of military sexual slavery by Japan, in Daegu, March 19. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Some activists are also calling on Korea to refer the matter to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), a move only the state — not individual victims — can make.

"Japan has consistently refused to address or resolve this issue through proper channels of justice," Kim said. "Referring the case to the ICJ could finally bring survivors the recognition and dignity they deserve."

For more than 30 years, Lee has spoken before international bodies, joined rallies and lobbied governments in pursuit of justice. She has nothing left to prove. She only has one final wish — Japan’s sincere apology and proper compensation.

"We need Japan to admit it was a war crime," she said.

"Don’t wait until we are all gone."