Former sex slaves mark 1,000th rally in front of Japan embassy

The Japanese government remains silent. The doors and windows of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul are firmly shut, with only the surveillance TV cameras greeting the elderly women who demand that Japan apologize and pledge to come back next week.

Former Korean sex slaves for Japanese soldiers during World War II staged their 1,000th weekly rally Wednesday, demanding an official apology and compensation from the Japanese government for forcing tens of thousands of women to provide sex daily to Japanese soldiers.

○ Japan remains silent

"Listen, Japanese ambassador to Korea. Tell the Japanese government that the world is on the road to real peace. Make an apology before we die!" said Kim Bok-dong, one of the surviving victims attending the historic rally. After a deep sigh, she added, “We Koreans can do anything if we stick together. I`d be grateful if our government could sternly tell the Japanese government to apologize and provide compensation."

Another survivor, Kil Won-ok, said, “The Japanese people are not apologizing. I have a feeling that our 1,000th weekly rally will end only in vain. How discouraging! I hope we Koreans do our best in our respective positions to prevent future suffering of this kind.”

Teens Lee Da-mi and Yoo Hye-jin from Osan, Gyeonggi Province said, “Seventy-six percent of elementary and middle school students have never heard of `comfort women (a euphemism used by the Japanese to describe the sex slaves).` We should continue to take interest in their activities."

Foreign media including NHK and Fuji TV of Japan, the Los Angeles Times, The Associated Press, Reuters and European Press Agency also rushed to report the 1,000th rally. The event also drew many foreign residents, reflecting keen global interest in the issue.

Among Korean politicians in attendance included Chung Mong-joon, former ruling Grand National Party chairman; former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook; Chung Dong-young, supreme council member of the main opposition Democratic Party; and Lee Jung-hee, co-chairwoman of the minor opposition Unified Progressive Party.

○ Peace monument

A peace monument dedicated to the victims was unveiled as planned in front of the Japanese Embassy. It was paid for through a fundraising campaign.

Rain began to sprinkle three minutes before the start of the unveiling ceremony at 12:30 p.m., but stopped when the curtain was lifted off the statue. Senior citizens were moved to tears.

Measuring 1.3 meters tall, the monument is a statue of a young girl dressed in a traditional Korean dress with her hands folded in her lap. This is intended to describe a woman being taken by Japanese soldiers. The girl is sitting on a chair next to another empty chair, which the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan said was reserved for the public to offer consolation.

The figure stood on a stone ground engraved with explanations of the historic Wednesday rally and the meaning of the monument in Korean, English and Japanese.

Japanese Ambassador to Korea Masatoshi Muto is known to have visited the Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry Wednesday to negotiate matters on the rally and monument.

A ministry source said, “If the country concerned demands cooperation from the host nation, the host cannot ignore it. The fundamental problem is the attitude of the Japanese government, who has failed to settle matters before the situation eroded."

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