In 2016, a woman was murdered in a public restroom near Gangnam Station by a man she had never met—killed solely because she was a woman. Nine years later, we still live in a society where gender-based violence continues to endanger women’s lives. Since that day, countless women have lived each day with the grim awareness that they have "survived by chance.“
This violence is not confined to physical attacks. Women who speak out about their suffering are often subjected to secondary victimization. The silence that surrounds violence against women mirrors the longstanding neglect and denial surrounding the issue of Japanese military sexual slavery. Since 1991, when victim-survivor Kim Hak-Soon firstly testified in public, the Wednesday Demonstration has continued for 33 years and marked its 1,700th Wednesday Demonstration this week. Yet even this historic site of protest is under threat from far-right historical denialists.
Defaming survivors as “prostitutes,” disclosing their personal information, and launching targeted attacks are acts of secondary violence. These are not only violations of individual dignity, but assaults on the collective humanity of women.
The Korean Council stands in solidarity with the 9th Memorial Action for the Gangnam Station Femicide. We remain committed to a world free from gender-based violence, and to building a society rooted in peace and justice.
Solidarity Speech: Dodam (The Korean Council Activist)
In 2016, a woman was murdered in a restroom near Gangnam Station by a man she had never met—killed simply because she was a woman. Nine years have passed, yet we still live in a society where women are subjected to violence solely on the basis of their gender. Since that tragic day, we have endured each day with the unsettling sense that we have merely “survived by chance.” And once again, we must ask: Why do we live in fear of death simply because we are women?
“Because she had short hair,” “because she asked for silence in a public space,” “just because she was a woman”—these irrational, baseless justifications are still cited as motives behind gender-based violence. According to a 2024 survey by Korea Women’s Hotline, the most common reasons given by male perpetrators in cases of femicide by strangers included “no reason,” “I don’t know,” and “temporary insanity.” These were followed by motives such as attempted sexual assault or simply “because she was a woman.” These statistics make one thing clear: women today remain exposed to danger in their daily lives, on the streets, and in public spaces—simply for being women.
This violence is not limited to physical harm. Survivors often face secondary victimization the moment they come forward. Phrases like, “It’s because you dressed that way,” “You shouldn’t have been out late,” or “He did it because he loved you,” shift blame onto victims while protecting perpetrators. This systemic injustice silences survivors and marginalizes even those who survive. Such secondary victimization is perhaps the clearest evidence that our society has not fundamentally changed.
The violence against women and the societal silence surrounding it are tragically echoed in the issue of Japanese military sexual slavery. Since the victim-survivor late Kim Hak-Soon courageously gave the first public testimony in 1991, the Wednesday Demonstrations have continued for 33 years and reached their 1,700th Wednesday Demonstration this week. Yet even this historic space is under attack by far-right historical denialists. Insulting survivors by calling them “prostitutes,” disclosing their home addresses, and inciting targeted harassment are blatant acts of secondary violence and an affront to women's dignity.
In 2015, the foreign ministers of South Korea and Japan concluded a bilateral agreement that disregarded the voices of survivors. The so-called “2015 Korea-Japan Agreement” included secret arrangements that omitted the term “sexual slavery” and committed not to raise the issue in the international community. This was a blatant attempt to erase the history of Japan’s war crimes and evade responsibility. Even after three South Korean court rulings acknowledged the Japanese government’s liability for reparations, Japan has refused to comply, instead claiming these rulings violate international law and shifting responsibility onto the Korean government.
Even more troubling is the lack of legal protections against such harm. The current Act on the Protection of the Victims of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan contains no provisions to penalize the distortion of history or defamation of victims. Legal reform is urgently needed to prevent further insults to survivors at places like the Wednesday Demonstration.
This legal amendment is not only about addressing the past. It is deeply connected to the present struggle against sexual violence, hate, and secondary victimization. It is about ensuring that women’s voices are not erased, that their suffering is not ignored, and that their demands for justice are enshrined in our laws and institutions. Amending this law is a continuation of the fight for women’s rights today and a crucial step toward transforming our society.
I hope for a tomorrow free from violence and discrimination. And I trust that everyone listening this shares the same hope. Inspired by the courage and cries of the victims of Japanese military sexual slavery, we must strive to build a world where women no longer have to hide, no longer live in fear.
The world we seek will not stand on fear, but on solidarity.
In 2016, a woman was murdered in a public restroom near Gangnam Station by a man she had never met—killed solely because she was a woman. Nine years later, we still live in a society where gender-based violence continues to endanger women’s lives. Since that day, countless women have lived each day with the grim awareness that they have "survived by chance.“
This violence is not confined to physical attacks. Women who speak out about their suffering are often subjected to secondary victimization. The silence that surrounds violence against women mirrors the longstanding neglect and denial surrounding the issue of Japanese military sexual slavery. Since 1991, when victim-survivor Kim Hak-Soon firstly testified in public, the Wednesday Demonstration has continued for 33 years and marked its 1,700th Wednesday Demonstration this week. Yet even this historic site of protest is under threat from far-right historical denialists.
Defaming survivors as “prostitutes,” disclosing their personal information, and launching targeted attacks are acts of secondary violence. These are not only violations of individual dignity, but assaults on the collective humanity of women.
The Korean Council stands in solidarity with the 9th Memorial Action for the Gangnam Station Femicide. We remain committed to a world free from gender-based violence, and to building a society rooted in peace and justice.
Solidarity Speech: Dodam (The Korean Council Activist)
In 2016, a woman was murdered in a restroom near Gangnam Station by a man she had never met—killed simply because she was a woman. Nine years have passed, yet we still live in a society where women are subjected to violence solely on the basis of their gender. Since that tragic day, we have endured each day with the unsettling sense that we have merely “survived by chance.” And once again, we must ask: Why do we live in fear of death simply because we are women?
“Because she had short hair,” “because she asked for silence in a public space,” “just because she was a woman”—these irrational, baseless justifications are still cited as motives behind gender-based violence. According to a 2024 survey by Korea Women’s Hotline, the most common reasons given by male perpetrators in cases of femicide by strangers included “no reason,” “I don’t know,” and “temporary insanity.” These were followed by motives such as attempted sexual assault or simply “because she was a woman.” These statistics make one thing clear: women today remain exposed to danger in their daily lives, on the streets, and in public spaces—simply for being women.
This violence is not limited to physical harm. Survivors often face secondary victimization the moment they come forward. Phrases like, “It’s because you dressed that way,” “You shouldn’t have been out late,” or “He did it because he loved you,” shift blame onto victims while protecting perpetrators. This systemic injustice silences survivors and marginalizes even those who survive. Such secondary victimization is perhaps the clearest evidence that our society has not fundamentally changed.
The violence against women and the societal silence surrounding it are tragically echoed in the issue of Japanese military sexual slavery. Since the victim-survivor late Kim Hak-Soon courageously gave the first public testimony in 1991, the Wednesday Demonstrations have continued for 33 years and reached their 1,700th Wednesday Demonstration this week. Yet even this historic space is under attack by far-right historical denialists. Insulting survivors by calling them “prostitutes,” disclosing their home addresses, and inciting targeted harassment are blatant acts of secondary violence and an affront to women's dignity.
In 2015, the foreign ministers of South Korea and Japan concluded a bilateral agreement that disregarded the voices of survivors. The so-called “2015 Korea-Japan Agreement” included secret arrangements that omitted the term “sexual slavery” and committed not to raise the issue in the international community. This was a blatant attempt to erase the history of Japan’s war crimes and evade responsibility. Even after three South Korean court rulings acknowledged the Japanese government’s liability for reparations, Japan has refused to comply, instead claiming these rulings violate international law and shifting responsibility onto the Korean government.
Even more troubling is the lack of legal protections against such harm. The current Act on the Protection of the Victims of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan contains no provisions to penalize the distortion of history or defamation of victims. Legal reform is urgently needed to prevent further insults to survivors at places like the Wednesday Demonstration.
This legal amendment is not only about addressing the past. It is deeply connected to the present struggle against sexual violence, hate, and secondary victimization. It is about ensuring that women’s voices are not erased, that their suffering is not ignored, and that their demands for justice are enshrined in our laws and institutions. Amending this law is a continuation of the fight for women’s rights today and a crucial step toward transforming our society.
I hope for a tomorrow free from violence and discrimination. And I trust that everyone listening this shares the same hope. Inspired by the courage and cries of the victims of Japanese military sexual slavery, we must strive to build a world where women no longer have to hide, no longer live in fear.
The world we seek will not stand on fear, but on solidarity.