SOUTH KOREA/TAIWAN: Former comfort women forced to work in Japanese war-time military brothels and their supporters rally in South Korea and Taiwan rally against Japan on international Comfort Women Memorial Day

Record ID: 214027

  • Title: SOUTH KOREA/TAIWAN: Former comfort women forced to work in Japanese war-time military brothels and their supporters rally in South Korea and Taiwan rally against Japan on international Comfort Women Memorial Day
  • Date: 14th August 2013
  • Summary: TRADITIONAL MEMORIAL CEREMONY FOR LATE SOUTH KOREAN FORMER COMFORT WOMAN LEE YONG-NYEO CEREMONY PARTICIPANT HOLDING PICTURE OF LEE CEREMONY PARTICIPANTS HOLDING PICTURE OF DEAD SOUTH KOREAN FORMER COMFORT WOMEN CEREMONY PARTICIPANT RINGING BELL AND WAILING WHILE OTHERS HOLDING SYMBOL OF COFFIN CEREMONY PARTICIPANTS HOLDING ROPE CONNECTED TO COFFIN WOMAN IN TRADITIONAL FUNERAL COSTUME SOBBING
  • Embargoed: 29th August 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Taiwan, Province of China, Korea, Republic of
  • City:
  • Country: Taiwan
  • Topics: International Relations,History,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAAC3I213O3NDO885VYF4LHNC7X
  • Story Text: Protesters in South Korea and Taiwan held anti-Japan rallies on Wednesday (August 14) to mark a memorial day for comfort women.
    Historians estimate that as many as 200,000 women were forced into sexual slavery in Japanese Imperial Army's brothels before and during the war.
    In Seoul, two elderly South Korean women "comfort women" who were forced to work in war-time military brothels demonstrated with about 3,000 of their supporters.
    They gathered in front of the Japanese embassy in downtown Seoul and urged Japan to make an official apology and provide them compensation.

    "I feel so depressed when I see the Japanese government makes absurd remarks and show no sign of apology," said 88-year-old Kim Bok-dong, a former comfort woman.
    Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe caused controversy during his first term in 2006-2007 by saying there was no proof that Japan's military had kidnapped women to work in the brothels. Such sentiments are common among Japanese ultra-conservatives.
    The Mayor of Osaka, Toru Hashimoto, sparked a storm of criticism at home and abroad when he said in May that the military brothels had been "necessary".

    "Japanese Ambassador, you listen! I'll erect a bronze statue (of a comfort woman) when I travel the world. So you should speak to your government to make formal apology and compensations before I complete erecting the bronze statues everywhere," Kim shouted at the embassy.
    Meanwhile, a traditional service to commemorate the death of a former comfort woman Lee Yong-nyeo was held in Seoul.
    Lee died on Sunday (August 11) at the age of 87, raising concerns that the aging victims may die before receiving formal apologies or compensation from Tokyo.

    "Lee Yong-nyeo was the most active anti-Japan activist among the former comfort women, but she passed away a few days ago," said protester Kim Woo-kyu.
    In Taiwan, dozens rallied in front of the Japan Interchange Association in Taipei on to mark the day.
    Protesters, mostly made up of students, chanted slogans to demand Japanese government's apology and compensation for Taiwan's six remaining former comfort women.
    Demonstrators staged a skit with protesters wearing masks bearing the photos of Japanese politicians, including Taro Aso, Shintaro Ishihara, Toru Hashimoto and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, kneeling down and apologizing.

    "We hope Japan will be able to formally legislate, through the Japanese legislature and the public effort, we ask for the Japanese government to face up to history and restore justice and truth," said Kang Shu-hua, Executive Director of Taipei Women's Rescue Foundation.
    An official from the Japan Interchange Association received the petitions from the protesters.
    Japan says the matter of compensation for the women was settled under a 1965 treaty establishing diplomatic ties. In 1995, Japan set up a fund to make payments to the women from private contributions, but South Korea says that was not official and therefore insufficient.
    The commemoration day for former comfort woman falls on an eve of the Independence Day of Korea and Taiwan and also the anniversary of the World War Two.
    The day is commemorated in several countries such as Canada, Philippines, the United States and Germany, the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan said.
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