In April, Secretary General Han Kyong-hee and activist Banghak traveled to Daegu to visit Lee Yong-soo halmoni. They shared a meal with her at a restaurant near the park where she often goes for walks and asked how she had been doing.
Halmoni said she has not been sleeping well these days. Although she has been receiving various treatments, she said it is difficult to fall asleep easily because of many worries and thoughts on her mind. Fortunately, she has been eating well and remaining active for her age, but she said that traveling back and forth to Seoul for activities has become physically very demanding. We told halmoni that we would work even harder on the things that need to be done in Seoul, and asked her to cherish her body like a treasure and live as comfortably as possible.
We asked halmoni what weighed most heavily on her mind. Like all of us, halmoni said her family was her greatest concern, and also spoke of her deep worries about whether the issue could be properly resolved in the time she has left. “I have lived without committing a single sin. We won in court, so why on earth is it not being enforced?” she said, expressing her frustration that legal compensation has still not been made even after the court ruling in her favor.
Lee Yong-soo halmoni continues to take a great interest in recent activities. She often asks keen questions about what discussions are taking place in different places and what the government and civil society are doing. Her will remains as firm as ever, but her body is no longer the same as before, and the recent news that another survivor has passed away seemed to weigh even more heavily on her heart.
After finishing the meal and returning home, halmoni continued to express her anger that the governments of both Korea and Japan are not doing what they should. “It feels like they are waiting for me to die. Why are they doing nothing?” she said. Her voice carried the exhaustion and desperation that had built up through so many long years of struggle.
The hearts of the activists who visited her also grew very heavy. We were reminded once again that while remembering and commemorating are important, it is also our greatest responsibility now to stand as a strong embankment beside the halmonis who are still with us and carry out the tasks that must be done immediately. We held halmoni’s hand tightly and told her that we would work harder. We promised her that we would do our utmost until the very end so that she can recover her honor and dignity and receive the reparation she is due.
Calming her trembling heart, halmoni said, “I can say these things because it is you.” She also said she wanted to meet with the president and discuss this issue directly. Halmoni looked very tired, perhaps because she had shared such difficult thoughts. We told her to rest well and promised to strongly convey to the government her request for a meeting with the president and her wishes.
Lee Yong-soo halmoni is currently the only survivor and activist in Korea who is directly raising her voice for the resolution of the Japanese military sexual slavery issue. Civil society stands beside her, but now that her fellow survivors - fellow activists have passed away and she is continuing this lonely struggle alone, her heart seems extremely heavy. Whenever activists visit her, halmoni holds our hands tightly and says:
“Although it is hard for me now, you must learn and never forget.”
We will never forget Lee Yong-soo halmoni’s wishes. We will work even harder so that the Japanese military sexual slavery issue can be resolved justly as soon as possible. We will do our utmost until the day comes when halmoni can recover her honor and dignity and sleep peacefully, free from worry.
In April, Secretary General Han Kyong-hee and activist Banghak traveled to Daegu to visit Lee Yong-soo halmoni. They shared a meal with her at a restaurant near the park where she often goes for walks and asked how she had been doing.
Halmoni said she has not been sleeping well these days. Although she has been receiving various treatments, she said it is difficult to fall asleep easily because of many worries and thoughts on her mind. Fortunately, she has been eating well and remaining active for her age, but she said that traveling back and forth to Seoul for activities has become physically very demanding. We told halmoni that we would work even harder on the things that need to be done in Seoul, and asked her to cherish her body like a treasure and live as comfortably as possible.
We asked halmoni what weighed most heavily on her mind. Like all of us, halmoni said her family was her greatest concern, and also spoke of her deep worries about whether the issue could be properly resolved in the time she has left. “I have lived without committing a single sin. We won in court, so why on earth is it not being enforced?” she said, expressing her frustration that legal compensation has still not been made even after the court ruling in her favor.
Lee Yong-soo halmoni continues to take a great interest in recent activities. She often asks keen questions about what discussions are taking place in different places and what the government and civil society are doing. Her will remains as firm as ever, but her body is no longer the same as before, and the recent news that another survivor has passed away seemed to weigh even more heavily on her heart.
After finishing the meal and returning home, halmoni continued to express her anger that the governments of both Korea and Japan are not doing what they should. “It feels like they are waiting for me to die. Why are they doing nothing?” she said. Her voice carried the exhaustion and desperation that had built up through so many long years of struggle.
The hearts of the activists who visited her also grew very heavy. We were reminded once again that while remembering and commemorating are important, it is also our greatest responsibility now to stand as a strong embankment beside the halmonis who are still with us and carry out the tasks that must be done immediately. We held halmoni’s hand tightly and told her that we would work harder. We promised her that we would do our utmost until the very end so that she can recover her honor and dignity and receive the reparation she is due.
Calming her trembling heart, halmoni said, “I can say these things because it is you.” She also said she wanted to meet with the president and discuss this issue directly. Halmoni looked very tired, perhaps because she had shared such difficult thoughts. We told her to rest well and promised to strongly convey to the government her request for a meeting with the president and her wishes.
Lee Yong-soo halmoni is currently the only survivor and activist in Korea who is directly raising her voice for the resolution of the Japanese military sexual slavery issue. Civil society stands beside her, but now that her fellow survivors - fellow activists have passed away and she is continuing this lonely struggle alone, her heart seems extremely heavy. Whenever activists visit her, halmoni holds our hands tightly and says:
“Although it is hard for me now, you must learn and never forget.”
We will never forget Lee Yong-soo halmoni’s wishes. We will work even harder so that the Japanese military sexual slavery issue can be resolved justly as soon as possible. We will do our utmost until the day comes when halmoni can recover her honor and dignity and sleep peacefully, free from worry.