"I will fight till the end even for the 238 people who have already passed away."
Yi Yong-su, an elderly comfort women victim made this statement at the Wednesday demonstration on December 30 as she poured her anger out on the South Korean and Japanese governments. The last Wednesday demonstration of this year was scheduled as a memorial for the deceased comfort women victims, but it became a platform for unleashing the anger on the results of a rushed bilateral meeting. At noon this day, "The 1211th Regular Wednesday Demonstration for the Resolution of the Comfort Women Issue" was held in front of the Japanese Embassy in Junghak-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. This rally was the first after the bilateral agreement on the comfort women issue between South Korea and Japan, and 700 people (police estimate), 3-4 times the usual number, gathered this day. This was the largest rally since last July when Japan passed its new security bill.
People from various civic groups such as the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan and the Civil Society Organizations Network in Korea gathered around Yi and Gil Won-ok (87), another elderly victim. College and high school students joined the old ladies holding pictures of the comfort women victims who have already passed away before their chest.
As with all final Wednesday demonstrations of the year, this day also began by remembering the victims who had passed away. The lives and stories of the nine elderly victims who died this year were introduced. The son of the late Yi Hyo-sun personally recited a letter to his mother, creating a solemn mood.
The rally became a stage for condemning the Korean and Japanese governments as Yi Yong-su expressed her rage on the latest agreement. Yi poured out her resentment as she said, "The government didn't even inform us that they were negotiating with Japan. They freed Japan from legal responsibility without once listening to the victims and they even said they would consider removing the statue. Are these people really the public officials of our country?" Yi added, "Japan is already making outrageous remarks like, 'There will be no further apology," using the agreement as an excuse."
The rally participants held the pictures of the deceased victims towards the Japanese Embassy and shouted to convey their anger. Jo Ha-eun, a volunteer at the Women's Right Museum said, "I am angry at our government for signing a ridiculous agreement, and will tell the world what is wrong and what was concealed." Yi Jeong-eun and Shin Chae-eun, students at Ewha Girls' High School said, "As the stars of the next generation, we will make sure that Japan recognizes their war crimes and provides legal compensation, that war criminals are punished, and that these facts be recorded in our history textbooks."
Professors for Democracy released a statement this day and criticized, "What the elderly victims wanted was a sincere apology, but the Park Geun-hye government declared a final and irreversible solution to the comfort women issue in the name of establishing a 10 billion won foundation." A group of college students to abolish the Korea-Japan agreement criticized, "The agreement protected the honor of Japan, not the honor of the comfort women victims."
Yi Yong-su, an elderly comfort women victim made this statement at the Wednesday demonstration on December 30 as she poured her anger out on the South Korean and Japanese governments. The last Wednesday demonstration of this year was scheduled as a memorial for the deceased comfort women victims, but it became a platform for unleashing the anger on the results of a rushed bilateral meeting. At noon this day, "The 1211th Regular Wednesday Demonstration for the Resolution of the Comfort Women Issue" was held in front of the Japanese Embassy in Junghak-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. This rally was the first after the bilateral agreement on the comfort women issue between South Korea and Japan, and 700 people (police estimate), 3-4 times the usual number, gathered this day. This was the largest rally since last July when Japan passed its new security bill.
Citizens hold pictures of the deceased comfort women victims at "The 1211th Regular Wednesday Rally for the Resolution of the Comfort Women Issue" held in front of the Japanese Embassy in Junghak-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul on December 30. / Kim Jeong-geun
People from various civic groups such as the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan and the Civil Society Organizations Network in Korea gathered around Yi and Gil Won-ok (87), another elderly victim. College and high school students joined the old ladies holding pictures of the comfort women victims who have already passed away before their chest.
As with all final Wednesday demonstrations of the year, this day also began by remembering the victims who had passed away. The lives and stories of the nine elderly victims who died this year were introduced. The son of the late Yi Hyo-sun personally recited a letter to his mother, creating a solemn mood.
The rally became a stage for condemning the Korean and Japanese governments as Yi Yong-su expressed her rage on the latest agreement. Yi poured out her resentment as she said, "The government didn't even inform us that they were negotiating with Japan. They freed Japan from legal responsibility without once listening to the victims and they even said they would consider removing the statue. Are these people really the public officials of our country?" Yi added, "Japan is already making outrageous remarks like, 'There will be no further apology," using the agreement as an excuse."
The rally participants held the pictures of the deceased victims towards the Japanese Embassy and shouted to convey their anger. Jo Ha-eun, a volunteer at the Women's Right Museum said, "I am angry at our government for signing a ridiculous agreement, and will tell the world what is wrong and what was concealed." Yi Jeong-eun and Shin Chae-eun, students at Ewha Girls' High School said, "As the stars of the next generation, we will make sure that Japan recognizes their war crimes and provides legal compensation, that war criminals are punished, and that these facts be recorded in our history textbooks."
Professors for Democracy released a statement this day and criticized, "What the elderly victims wanted was a sincere apology, but the Park Geun-hye government declared a final and irreversible solution to the comfort women issue in the name of establishing a 10 billion won foundation." A group of college students to abolish the Korea-Japan agreement criticized, "The agreement protected the honor of Japan, not the honor of the comfort women victims."
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