Subscribe
E-Paper
 |
| President Moon Jae-in / Yonhap |
By Jung Min-ho
President Moon Jae-in vowed to fight for the victims of Japan's wartime sex slavery on Aug. 14, the International Memorial Day for Comfort Women.
"My administration will do its best to restore the dignity and honor of 'comfort women,' the victims of Japan's military (during World War II)," Moon said.
He also noted that the government will continue to share the message of peace and women's rights with other countries.
"Today we can commemorate the victims, thanks to Kim Hak-sun, who broke the silence 28 years ago by saying she was the 'living proof.' Many others have since shared their stories … Thanks to them, we now know the truth," Moon said.
Human rights activists in Korea and overseas, including Manila and Taipei, also held rallies to commemorate the victims.
In Seoul, about 2,000 people rallied near the Japanese Embassy, demanding the Japanese government apologize to the victims and properly compensate them for what they have gone through.
Historians say as many as 200,000 girls and women, mostly Koreans, were forced to work as sex slaves during Japan's occupation from 1910 to 1945.
Last year, the Moon government designated the date (Aug. 14) as the official Memorial Day for comfort women.
