WW2-ANNIVERSARY/S. KOREA-COMFORT WOMEN RALLY Thousands of South Koreans rally with comfort women in anti-Japan protest

Record ID: 144224

  • Title: WW2-ANNIVERSARY/S. KOREA-COMFORT WOMEN RALLY Thousands of South Koreans rally with comfort women in anti-Japan protest
  • Date: 12th August 2015
  • Summary: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (AUGUST 12, 2015) (REUTERS) ANTI-JAPAN PROTESTERS GATHERED AT RALLY LISTENING TO MUSIC / PEOPLE SCREAMING / FLAMES EMERGING BEHIND SIGNS TO THE RIGHT OF THE AUDIENCE / PEOPLE RUNNING TO HELP, SOME THROWING WATER FROM WATER BOTTLES, SOME TRYING TO STAMP OUT THE FIRE WITH SHEET
  • Embargoed: 27th August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAF5DF4NG34310W6TEK1132WMJ5
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: EDITORS NOTE, THIS EDIT CONTAINS GRAPHIC MATERIAL
    EDITORS ALSO NOTE, PLEASE REFER TO 0078-WW2-ANNIVERSARY/FILE-PART ONE AND 0079-WW2-ANNIVERSARY/FILE-PART TWO SENT ON AUGUST 9 FOR FILE MATERIAL
    South Koreans including former comfort women held an anti-Japan protest on Wednesday (August 12) in Seoul, ahead of Liberation Day on Saturday (August 15) which marks the 70th anniversary of the end of Japanese colonial rule.
    About two thousand people joined former comfort women in their weekly protest to demand an official apology and compensation from the Japanese government.
    During the rally, an elderly South Korean man set himself on fire in support of women forced into sex slavery during World War Two. As flames enveloped the man, bystanders ran to smother the fire with protest banners and water. Paramedics then took him to hospital.
    A firefighter said the man was still alive and it appeared that he had tried to kill himself by setting himself on fire. He had with him a soft-drink bottle that smelt of gasoline, according to a Reuters witness at the scene.
    On most Wednesdays for more than two decades, the women who were forced into sexual slavery in brothels run by the Japanese army in World War Two have gathered outside the Japanese Embassy in Seoul.
    "If Japan were a deaf person, now they can hear, if Japan were a blind person, now they can see, because they have heard our demand enough times. They ought to apologize and compensate," 86-year-old South Korean former comfort woman, Lee Yong-soo, urged Japan to formally apologize.
    "We will no longer deepen the conflict (between South Korea and Japan) in our history. And we have suffered and raised our voice for 70 years, which is long enough. Now, we should make proactive efforts to make a brand new start at this time, when we mark the 70th anniversary of Korea's liberation (from Japan)," said Yoon Mee-hyang, representative of Korean Council for Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan.
    Crowd of protesters chanted slogans while holding up banners with messages such as "Formal Apology".
    "We, the young generation, will not forget and take a lead in solving this problem until the day this issue is solved. I will not only participate in weekly anti-Japan protests, but will also make my utmost effort, even after the former comfort women all pass away, to solve this problem," said 24-year-old anti-Japan protester, Park Eun-hye, after the rally.
    Historians estimate that as many as 200,000 women were forced into sexual slavery in the Imperial Japanese Army's brothels before and during World War Two. Only 47 South Korean comfort women are alive as of now.
    In South Korea, eight have died this year, five since June, and South Korean President Park Geun-hye said last week the Aug. 15 anniversary may be the last chance for a Japanese leader to resolve the issue.
    Japan, which ruled the Korean peninsula as a colony from 1910-1945, has refused to be drawn on the issue which has been a constant thorn in the side of relations between the neighbours. Tokyo says it was fully resolved by a 1985 treaty.
    Japan acknowledged in 1993 that the state played a role in forcing Korean and Chinese women into military brothels and set up a fund to provide compensation to survivors in 1995. However, it has refused to pay direct compensation to survivors.
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