On November 4, Chairperson Lee Na-young of the Korean Council appeared as a reference witness at the National Assembly audit conducted by the Gender Equality and Family Committee.
Since late 2019, far-right history denialists have repeatedly obstructed the Wednesday Demonstrations, vandalized the Statue of Peace, and openly mocked survivors. These denialists have gone further by holding demonstrations in front of survivors’ private residences, inflicting serious psychological harm. More recently, they have attempted to stage hate protests at high schools where the Statues of Peace are installed and have been organizing systematically in coordination with far-right groups in Japan.
At the audit, Chairperson Lee emphasized that the Korean government must urgently implement follow-up measures demanded by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which in its previous concluding observations required concrete action within two years to ensure survivors’ rights to an official apology and reparations from the Japanese government. She highlights that immediate legislative action is needed to amend the Act on the Protection of Japanese Military “Comfort Women” Victims so that individuals and groups who deny historical truth and violate survivors’ dignity can be properly held accountable.
During the audit, National Assembly members Seo Young-kyo and Park Hong-bae expressed strong commitment to advancing the necessary legal amendments. In addition, Cho Eun-hee, the People Power Party’s floor spokesperson for the Gender Equality and Family Committee, pledged that the bill would be reviewed and processed through bipartisan agreement at the Legislative Review Subcommittee scheduled for November. This commitment marked a meaningful outcome of the audit.
The Korean Council reaffirmed its determination to ensure that acts denying historical truth and infringing upon survivors’ dignity are never repeated, and pledged to work toward the swift amendment of the law to protect survivors of the Japanese military sexual slavery.
We ask for continued public attention and support as this important legislative process moves forward.
Since late 2019, far-right history denialists have repeatedly obstructed the Wednesday Demonstrations, vandalized the Statue of Peace, and openly mocked survivors. These denialists have gone further by holding demonstrations in front of survivors’ private residences, inflicting serious psychological harm. More recently, they have attempted to stage hate protests at high schools where the Statues of Peace are installed and have been organizing systematically in coordination with far-right groups in Japan.
At the audit, Chairperson Lee emphasized that the Korean government must urgently implement follow-up measures demanded by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which in its previous concluding observations required concrete action within two years to ensure survivors’ rights to an official apology and reparations from the Japanese government. She highlights that immediate legislative action is needed to amend the Act on the Protection of Japanese Military “Comfort Women” Victims so that individuals and groups who deny historical truth and violate survivors’ dignity can be properly held accountable.
During the audit, National Assembly members Seo Young-kyo and Park Hong-bae expressed strong commitment to advancing the necessary legal amendments. In addition, Cho Eun-hee, the People Power Party’s floor spokesperson for the Gender Equality and Family Committee, pledged that the bill would be reviewed and processed through bipartisan agreement at the Legislative Review Subcommittee scheduled for November. This commitment marked a meaningful outcome of the audit.
The Korean Council reaffirmed its determination to ensure that acts denying historical truth and infringing upon survivors’ dignity are never repeated, and pledged to work toward the swift amendment of the law to protect survivors of the Japanese military sexual slavery.
We ask for continued public attention and support as this important legislative process moves forward.