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| A bronze statue representing a Korean forced laborer in Japan during the Japanese colonial period, at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, stands under a downpour. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul |
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| Lee Chun-shik, 95, who was forced to leave Korea and work for a Japanese steel company during the 1910-45 Japanese occupation, attends Thursday's street rally at Seoul Square in downtown Seoul. He joined public voices against Japan's Abe administration, seeking an apology and compensation for Japan's wartime actions. The "international peace parade" on the 74th Liberation Day started from Seoul Square and headed a few kilometers north to the former location of the Japanese embassy. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul |
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| Yang Geum-deok, 89, another survivor of forced labor by a Japanese company, returns to her seat at Seoul Square after delivering a speech to the crowd. She holds a sign that reads: "We condemn Abe administration, apologize for the forced labor." Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul |
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| Lee and Yang are surrounded by some of the crowd in Seoul Square. The placard held by Lee reads: "Apologize for the forced labor and commence the court rule of restitution." Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul |
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| The crowd from Seoul Square parades on Sejong Boulevard toward the former Japanese embassy site to deliver a petition signed by citizens. Pictured are the deceased who had been forced to move to Japan to work for a Japanese steel company during the Japanese occupation. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul |
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| Members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, in its annual campaign on Thursday gathering members from across the country to mark the 74th Liberation Day, put on a skit portraying embittered Korean women during the Japanese occupation at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk |
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| Members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions hold flags of the Korean Peninsula in Gwanghwamun Square, Thursday, during the group's rally. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk |
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| Members of the Our Republican Party, who support the former South Korean President Park Geun-hye who was ousted from office in 2017 on corruption and bribery charges, and supporters of conservative civic groups hold an American flag as they campaign in front of Seoul City Hall on Thursday. They demanded the release and acquittal of Park, now in prison, and endorsed stronger Seoul-Washington ties. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk |
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| Thousands fill Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, Thursday evening, for a candlelit cultural festival condemning Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The crowds were in unison on the 74th Liberation Day in criticizing Abe who removed South Korea from Japan's "whitelist" of preferred trading partners and has seldom shown efforts to apologize to and compensate Korean victims of his country's war crimes of sex slavery and forced labor during the 1910-45 Japanese occupation. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk |
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| The anti-Abe rally continued until late night on Thursday at Gwanghwamun Square, with the participants holding pickets reading "NO ABE!" and paper cups reading "Citizens doing NO" with lit candles inside. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk |
