일본군 ‘위안부’ 피해 생존자 단 5명…”절대 잊으면 안 돼요” 당부

On the 14th anniversary of the annual World Day for Korean Comfort Women, a memorial ceremony was held in Cheongnyangni, Seoul, on November 14, 2021. A note hung on the stage at the Nabi Culture Festival, filled with feelings from the victims and citizens, sought to bring about a wind of peace. Even in pouring rain, over 200 citizens displayed yellow and purple ribbon-shaped scarves around their chests.

This year's Nabi Culture Festival took place for the first time in six years, with the protective barriers that had surrounded the "Child" statue since 2020 removed last May due to concerns over right-wing provocations. Citizens continued to take photos with the yellow flowers carried by the "Child" statue. The annual celebration of the day began on August 14, 1991, after Korean comfort women survivor Kim Hae-sun (1997) made her first testimony of her suffering.

Since 2017, it has also been designated as a legal memorial day. Survivor Yoo Yoo-sung (98) expressed his gratitude on video, saying, "Today is not another day, it is a memorial day. I swear I will never forget." Survivor Park Pil-guen (98) also expressed his hope, saying, "I want compensation from Japan, revenge, and apologies.

Thank you for bringing so many people here." As the struggle for Japan's apology and compensation enters its 36th year, concerns are growing that the era of surviving comfort women is fading away. Currently, there are only five surviving Korean comfort women. Jeonghye Kang, president of the Jeonghye Justice Memorial Association, emphasized that as long as there are survivors, history cannot be erased, and called for a stronger wind of peace to confront war, violence, discrimination, and hatred.

Participants urged the Korean government to demand accountability from the Japanese government, including the recognition of war crimes and the apology and legal compensation for comfort women, the discontinuation of history revision, and the halt of militarization. Above all, they vowed to unite against violence and hatred. In the "Memorial Declaration," they emphasized that they would make their voices heard more strongly and stand firmly with the global civil society for a world without war, violence, and hatred.