Fighting for dignity as a human beings <1>
< "SYUKAN KINYOBI" April 5th No.406 issue >
translated by E.T.O.
Fighting for dignity as a human beings -
The 500th Anniversary of Wednesday Demonstration
by the Former Comfort Women of Seoul

Since former Korean Comfort women, identified themselves ten years ago,
are demonstrating every Wednesday in front of the Japanese Embassy
in Seoul demanding for the truth to be revealed and for an official apology
from the Japanese government.
500th such demonstration was held on Wednesday March 13, 2002.

I reported on the former comfort women issue in Seoul, which is
considered as a past disgrace by the Korean citizens.

Sky was clear in Seoul. We were in front of the Japanese Embassy.
Six women, who were forced to serve as sex slaves (former-comfort women) by the Japanese Imperial Army, were in a black microbus passing through heavy traffic in Seoul and reached the narrow street leading to the Japanese Embassy. As expected, approximately, thirty mobile police in black uniform, were blocking the street by forming barriers.

"We are halmonis (aged woman in Korean language) who have come to participate in the Wednesday-Demonstration. Please let us go" a man accompanying the former-comfort women requested. But it was in vain. The leader of the mobile police did not allow and kept on telling that they cannot let the women go through.
< People make a great fuss about it only for special occasion. >
The Wednesday-Demonstration was first held in January 8th, 1992 in front of the Japanese Embassy by the former-comfort women and organizations supporting for their cause demanding an official apology, reveling the truth and compensation from the Japanese government.

It has been taken place for the past decade, amidst rain and snow, except for during Hanshin-Awaji district earthquake period and the national holidays, which marked 500th anniversary on March 13th, 2002.

The demonstration is organized by the Korean Council for the Woman Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan, an organization formed by 37 groups of women, civil, labor, student and religious organizations. They are agitating for seven issues.

1. Reveal the explicit details of the military sexual slavery during the war.
2. Acknowledge the military sexual slavery of Japan as a war crime
3. Make formal apologies.
4. Identify and punish the criminals.
5. Build a monument in memory of victims and establish a reference library.
6. Provide reparations to the survivors and the bereaved families.
7. Record the truth in the textbooks.

In Korea, any assembly or demonstration is strictly prohibited to be held within 100 meters circumference of the foreign embassies except the Wednesday-Demonstration, which shows that the issue of comfort women is a very emotional and a sensitive issue between Korean and Japan.

Since the street continued to be blocked, the microbus had to go on a detour through the back ally and head to a street leading to the Japanese Embassy. However, there was another group of about 200 mobile police forming three barriers. Unless we could pass through these barricades, the demonstration would have been suspended.

Our vehicle was suddenly surrounded by the police. Noticing the tensed atmosphere building up outside the bus, I took a glance at the halmonis, from the rear seat. They were just observing the situation calmly, without any commotion and I was strongly impressed. At the end, we somehow managed to settle with the person in charge of the police and head towards the Japanese Embassy.

There were approximately fifty reporters in front of the Japanese Embassy waiting for the arrival of former-comfort women and 500th anniversary of the protest.

" People make a great fuss about it only for a special occasion." whispered one of the halmonis. She was right. Last 499th demonstration was quietly held under a chilly weather while breathing out white vapor. There was no one to report on the protest.

The Japanese government ignores the demand and even the existence of former-comfort women as a relic of the past. The same applies to the situation in Korea which consider it as a past issue. Former-comfort women are called a national disgrace or criticized in articles that halmonis are forced to participate in the Wednesday Demo for the purpose of receiving compensation by the Korean Council for the Woman Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan.

However, all the articles were written under speculation without interviewing the former-comfort women, the halmonis.

My concerns about the feeling of the halmonis participating in the Wednesday-Demonstration led to my decision to stay in Nanumujip, the house of sharing for halmonis, for a week to talk to them in person.

Nanumujip means the house of sharing in Korean language. Since former-comfort women began to identify themselves, they lost a place to go, or, could not live with their family anymore. Nine former-comfort women lived together in the house of sharing.

There are 203 former-comfort women who have stepped forward as of March 2002 and of which, 61 have passed away.
Former-comfort woman, halmonis, raised a hue in the Wednesday Demonstration in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul. There were 12 participants, of which 6 halmonis were residents of Nanumjip, the "house of sharing."
Professor Yun Juoku making a speech at the 550th protest. Professor Juoku has published his report on former-comfort woman in the Han-Kyoreh Newspaper, bringing back public attention to the issue, which he has been working on since 1980s.
A scene of the 499th Wednesday Demonstration. There was not a single reporter in the chilly weather, but two former-comfort woman, halmonis, assisted in the last minute of the protest.