A victim of Japanese wartime sexual slavery dies at age 92

A South Korean victim of Japanese wartime sexual slavery died on Sunday at the age of 92. The Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan (Korean Council) said on Monday that the woman, identified only by her last name Yoon, passed away at around 10 p.m. on Sunday. Her name will be kept anonymous and the funeral will be held privately at the will of the bereaved family.

Born in North Chungcheong Province in 1929, she was taken to Japan in 1941 at the age of 12 to serve as a sex slave while protesting against Japanese soldiers who were assaulting her grandfather. She underwent many hardships in Japan, including being forced to work as a sex slave in several areas such as Shimonoseki and Hiroshima.

With her death, the country has only 14 survivors left among 240 Koreans registered with the government as victims of Japanese wartime sexual slavery.


ycy@donga.com