hankyoreh

By Jin Myeong-seon, staff reporter

In front of the Japanese Embassy located in Seoul’s Jongno district, the 1,074th regular Wednesday rally to call for a resolution of the comfort woman issue was held on Nov. 7. Following the departure of eighty-four-year-old Gil Won-ok and 86-year-old Gim Bok-dong, a statue depicting a young comfort woman in traditional Korean attire took over as a stand-in for the older ladies and was soon being showered with gifts. A flower bouquet was put on the girl’s lap and on the empty chair next to the statue was placed with a knot connecting thousands of folded-paper cranes made by Japanese women. High school girls were busy taking pictures next to the statue, posing with their arms around the statue’s shoulders. An eleven-year-old boy named Yu Dong-ah who participated in the rally said, “It reminds me of my late grandmother. It’s cold out today, I wish I could put warm socks on her [the statue’s] feet.”

The statue was already dressed in winter clothes. She was wearing a knitted wooly hat and scarf and her lap was covered with a blanket. A puppy doll was on the chair next to her. Her feet were in socks. The artist who created the statue, sculptor Kim Un-sung said, “Since she steps on the ground with the balls of her feet, she can’t wear normal socks. So I was surprised to find the statue wearing socks about three weeks ago. After a closer look, I found that the socks had been specially tailored for her feet.” The socks have no bottom and just cover the top of the statue’s feet.

Kim Sun-min, 40, who has been volunteering at the rally for the last year said, “On rainy days, somebody dresses her in a raincoat and in the cold weather, somebody puts a scarf on her. Judging from the way people take such good care of her, it is clear that she is deeply loved.”

The statue was put in front of the Japanese Embassy to commemorate the 1,000th weekly Wednesday rally on Dec. 14, 2011. Since then it has become probably Korea’s most beloved statue, garnering a great deal of attention and affection. Statutes of prominent Korean figures such as Admiral Lee Sun-sin, King Sejong, and former president Park Chung-hee have at times been surrounded by controversy, making the comfort woman statue unique.

So why has the statute of the girl become a statue of the people? The crucial part that distinguishes her from other statues is her lack of an authoritarian aura. Unlike other life-size statues that often grace high pedestals, the girl stands on the ground at eye level, giving off a friendly and approachable feel. Statues imbued with an aura of authority commonly become a subject of rage, as was evidenced by Stalin’s statute, which was dismantled after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and Saddam Hussein’s statue, which was toppled after the US invasion of Iraq.

Kim Jong-gil, curator of Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art said, “Monumental sculptures, such as statues of emperors and heroes from Greek and Rome, were built at that height to make viewers look up to them. On the other hand, the statue of the girl was built on the ground, making direct contact possible and allowing people to take pictures with her and reach out and touch her.”

The location of the statue is another key to her popularity. Kim Jun-gi, curator of Daejeon Museum of Art said, “The sentiment and emotion evoked by public art can sometimes be strengthened depending on the locational context. I think the girl statue appeals to people’s hearts more as she stands in front of the Japanese Embassy. By that same token, Admiral Lee Sun-sin’s statue fails to evoke any deep emotional response because it stands in Gwanghwamun Square, which has little to do with the admiral.”

Some say the girl standing at eye level with citizens has brought about many changes in the Wednesday rally’s atmosphere and social viewpoints on the comfort women issue. Volunteer Kim Pan-su, 73, said, “Since the statue was built, kids come up to the elderly women and act in cute, lovable ways. The rally has transcended simply demanding compensation and apology and has now almost reached a fair-like atmosphere.”

Art critic Ban Yi-jeong said, “Before the statue was built, people didn’t seem that interested in bringing about a resolution to the comfort women issue. The powerful visual embodiment of the issue in the form of this statue of a young girl, however, is a stark reminder that the issue has yet to be resolved.”

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