TOKYO – On April 23rd, a group of over 100 individuals, including Korean and Japanese youths, gathered in front of Shinjuku Station in Tokyo, passionately denouncing the denial of the Japanese military's sexual slavery system, commonly known as the "comfort women" issue.
Participants at the rally expressed deep sorrow and outrage over the suffering endured by numerous victims of the Japanese military's sexual slavery during the Japanese colonial period. One speaker criticized the Japanese government's persistent refusal to offer sincere apologies and reparations, stating, "Many comfort women endured unimaginable pain, their dignity as women and Koreans trampled upon during the Japanese colonial era. Yet, there has been no genuine apology or compensation from the Japanese government. Instead, the spread of historical denial and injustice continues."
The civic group "April 23rd Action to Never Forgive the Denial of Japanese Military Sexual Slavery" (4.23 Action), marking its 10th anniversary, highlighted the ongoing struggle for justice. They emphasized, "The Japanese government continues to reject apologies and reparations, and even attacks the victims. We must take action against the movements that deny the history of invasive war."
4.23 Action was formed in 2015 to commemorate Bae Bong-gi (1914-1991), the first woman of Korean origin to publicly identify herself as a victim of the Japanese military's sexual slavery. Bae passed away on October 18, 1991, in Naha, Okinawa. Born in Shinnyewon-ri, Yesan-gun, South Chungcheong Province, in September 1914, she was deceived in 1943 with promises of lucrative employment and brought to Okinawa. From November 1944 to late March 1945, she was forced into sexual slavery on Tokashiki Island. After Japan's defeat in 1945, she remained in Okinawa, burdened by her traumatic past.
Her decision to stay was influenced by the fear of returning home due to her experiences. However, when Okinawa was reintegrated into Japan in 1972 after being under U.S. military administration, she faced unexpected deportation. To secure special permanent residency, Bae revealed her past as a comfort woman. This revelation was documented in local media in 1975 and in the Chosun Shinbo, a pro-North Korean newspaper, on April 23, 1977.
Bae's death in 1991 coincided with the year when Kim Hak-soon's testimony in South Korea sparked the formal comfort women movement. However, Bae's story was largely forgotten. Established in 2015, 4.23 Action commemorates the date her story was first publicized, April 23rd, by holding annual events to honor the victims and urge the Japanese government to change its stance.
During the rally, participants also recited the names of other comfort women victims, including Kim Bok-dong, Kwak Geum-nyeo, Kang Duk-kyung, Gil Won-ok, and Lee Kyung-soo, sharing their painful experiences. The activists emphasized the importance of remembering these women and continuing the fight for justice and historical accuracy. The group continues to call for the Japanese government to acknowledge its past wrongdoings, offer sincere apologies and provide reparations to the surviving victims and their families. They also fight against the historical revisionism that attempts to erase or distort the historical record of the comfort women system. The activists stressed that the fight for justice and historical truth is not only important for the victims and their families, but also for the broader goal of promoting peace and human rights.
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