On Thursday, August 6, at 5 p.m., Chair of the Board Han, Kyong-hee and General Secretary Kang, Kyung-ran attended the Memorial Service for Korean Victims of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki Atomic Bombings, commemorating the 81st anniversary, in Seoul, at Hyanglin Church.
The atomic bombings claimed the lives of more than 210,000 innocent people. Among the victims were Koreans living in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, many of whom had been subjected to colonial exploitation and forced mobilization under Japanese colonial rule.
The Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance will continue to work to uncover the historical truth surrounding the atomic bombings and to advocate for amendments to the Special Act on the Support for Korean Atomic Bomb Victims, so that second- and third-generation survivors who continue to suffer from the effects of the bombings can also receive medical treatment and support.
81 Years Since the Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Citizens’ Declaration for Fact-Finding and the Restoration of Honor for Korean Victims
Koreans Were There.
On August 6 and 9, 1945, the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the first use of atomic weapons in human history. More than 210,000 innocent lives were lost as a result. Among them were approximately 50,000 Koreans who had been living in Hiroshima and Nagasaki after being driven from their homeland by the colonial exploitation and forced mobilization imposed by Japanese imperialism. The Korean victims who miraculously survived the bombings were forced to endure further suffering amid neglect and discrimination. The aftereffects of the atomic bombings did not end with the victims themselves, but have continued into the second and third generations. Even 81 years later, this suffering remains unresolved.
The Governments of Japan and the United States Must Apologize and Reveal the Truth!
The Governments of Japan colonized Korea for its imperialist war of aggression and drove countless Koreans into forced labor, forced mobilization, and Japanese military sexual slavery. Ultimately, they became victims of the atomic bombings. Yet Japan continues to portray itself solely as a victim of the atomic bombings without fully accepting responsibility for its colonial rule and war crimes. Furthermore, Japan is once again threatening peace in East Asia by pursuing the expansion of its military power and the revival of militarism through constitutional revision.
The Governments of the United States has long claimed that the atomic bombings were an unavoidable choice to bring the war to an early end. However, they were also driven by political and military objectives aimed at establishing a U.S.-centered postwar international order and demonstrating the destructive power of nuclear weapons. The United States must acknowledge its historical responsibility for the inhumane use of nuclear weapons against civilians and take action to apologize and establish the historical truth.
Now, the Government of the Republic of Korea Must Act Responsibly!
In the face of the suffering caused by colonial rule, the atomic bombings, and the neglect and discrimination that followed, the Government of the Republic of Korea also bears a responsibility to protect its people and restore the rights of the victims. The suffering has continued across generations and is being passed on to the future. The government must reflect on the inadequacy of its response to date and amend the Special Act on the Support for Korean Atomic Bomb Victims to institutionalize substantive support for, and guarantee the rights of, second- and third-generation victims. It must also actively pursue diplomatic, legal, and institutional efforts, together with the victims and civil society, to demand fact-finding, official apologies, and just reparation and compensation from the Governments of Japan and the United States.
Take the Movement for Fact-Finding and the Restoration of Honor Nationwide and Worldwide!
We will make known to the people of the Republic of Korea and to the world the fact that countless Koreans were there 81 years ago. We will do everything in our power to achieve victim-centered amendments to the Special Act, establish the truth, and restore the honor of the victims. We will promote a joint memorial service for Korean victims involving both South and North Korea, heal the wounds of the Korean people, and open a path toward reconciliation and reunification.
For historical justice and human rights, for peace and against war, and for overcoming the division of the Korean Peninsula, peace activists in Korea and Japan will take the lead in further expanding nationwide and international solidarity. Together, we will hold the Government of the United States and Japan clearly accountable for their historical responsibilities and ensure that such a tragedy is never repeated.
Let us move forward together with all victims and with peace-loving people around the world, toward historical justice and a peaceful Korean Peninsula.
August 6, 2026
All Participants of the Seoul Memorial Service for Korean Victims of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki Atomic Bombings, Commemorating the 81st Anniversary
On Thursday, August 6, at 5 p.m., Chair of the Board Han, Kyong-hee and General Secretary Kang, Kyung-ran attended the Memorial Service for Korean Victims of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki Atomic Bombings, commemorating the 81st anniversary, in Seoul, at Hyanglin Church.
The atomic bombings claimed the lives of more than 210,000 innocent people. Among the victims were Koreans living in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, many of whom had been subjected to colonial exploitation and forced mobilization under Japanese colonial rule.
The Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance will continue to work to uncover the historical truth surrounding the atomic bombings and to advocate for amendments to the Special Act on the Support for Korean Atomic Bomb Victims, so that second- and third-generation survivors who continue to suffer from the effects of the bombings can also receive medical treatment and support.
81 Years Since the Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Citizens’ Declaration for Fact-Finding and the Restoration of Honor for Korean Victims
Koreans Were There.
On August 6 and 9, 1945, the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the first use of atomic weapons in human history. More than 210,000 innocent lives were lost as a result. Among them were approximately 50,000 Koreans who had been living in Hiroshima and Nagasaki after being driven from their homeland by the colonial exploitation and forced mobilization imposed by Japanese imperialism. The Korean victims who miraculously survived the bombings were forced to endure further suffering amid neglect and discrimination. The aftereffects of the atomic bombings did not end with the victims themselves, but have continued into the second and third generations. Even 81 years later, this suffering remains unresolved.
The Governments of Japan and the United States Must Apologize and Reveal the Truth!
The Governments of Japan colonized Korea for its imperialist war of aggression and drove countless Koreans into forced labor, forced mobilization, and Japanese military sexual slavery. Ultimately, they became victims of the atomic bombings. Yet Japan continues to portray itself solely as a victim of the atomic bombings without fully accepting responsibility for its colonial rule and war crimes. Furthermore, Japan is once again threatening peace in East Asia by pursuing the expansion of its military power and the revival of militarism through constitutional revision.
The Governments of the United States has long claimed that the atomic bombings were an unavoidable choice to bring the war to an early end. However, they were also driven by political and military objectives aimed at establishing a U.S.-centered postwar international order and demonstrating the destructive power of nuclear weapons. The United States must acknowledge its historical responsibility for the inhumane use of nuclear weapons against civilians and take action to apologize and establish the historical truth.
Now, the Government of the Republic of Korea Must Act Responsibly!
In the face of the suffering caused by colonial rule, the atomic bombings, and the neglect and discrimination that followed, the Government of the Republic of Korea also bears a responsibility to protect its people and restore the rights of the victims. The suffering has continued across generations and is being passed on to the future. The government must reflect on the inadequacy of its response to date and amend the Special Act on the Support for Korean Atomic Bomb Victims to institutionalize substantive support for, and guarantee the rights of, second- and third-generation victims. It must also actively pursue diplomatic, legal, and institutional efforts, together with the victims and civil society, to demand fact-finding, official apologies, and just reparation and compensation from the Governments of Japan and the United States.
Take the Movement for Fact-Finding and the Restoration of Honor Nationwide and Worldwide!
We will make known to the people of the Republic of Korea and to the world the fact that countless Koreans were there 81 years ago. We will do everything in our power to achieve victim-centered amendments to the Special Act, establish the truth, and restore the honor of the victims. We will promote a joint memorial service for Korean victims involving both South and North Korea, heal the wounds of the Korean people, and open a path toward reconciliation and reunification.
For historical justice and human rights, for peace and against war, and for overcoming the division of the Korean Peninsula, peace activists in Korea and Japan will take the lead in further expanding nationwide and international solidarity. Together, we will hold the Government of the United States and Japan clearly accountable for their historical responsibilities and ensure that such a tragedy is never repeated.
Let us move forward together with all victims and with peace-loving people around the world, toward historical justice and a peaceful Korean Peninsula.
August 6, 2026
All Participants of the Seoul Memorial Service for Korean Victims of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki Atomic Bombings, Commemorating the 81st Anniversary