hankyoreh

Lee Yong-soo, a survivor of the Japanese military’s “comfort women” system of sexual slavery, speaks to the Hankyoreh about her meeting with Yun Duk-min on June 21, 2022. (Kim Gyu-hyun/The Hankyoreh)

Yun Duk-min, the nominee to be South Korean ambassador to Japan, visited Daegu on Tuesday where he met with Lee Yong-soo, a victim of the Japanese military’s “comfort women” system.

Yun met Lee at 11 am that day at the Heeum Museum of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan in central Daegu. Yun, whose meeting with Lee was not a part of his official schedule, greeted Lee and asked that she “stay healthy for a long, long time.”

Asked about what words he shared with Lee by the Hankyoreh, Yun replied, “Today’s meeting was a private one. I have not been officially appointed yet, so it is difficult for me to say anything without agrement [diplomatic approval].”

Lee is said to have urged the Yun to address the issue of redress for victims of the comfort women system as soon as possible.

Speaking to the Hankyoreh the same day, Lee said, “Since he will be going to Japan as the next ambassador, I asked [Yun] to resolve the problems we face.”

When asked whether she expects the new South Korean administration to finally solve the issue of Japanese wartime forced sexual slavery, Lee responded, “It doesn’t matter if administrations change or not, it all stays the same.”

“Still, we have to solve this problem somehow,” she added.

Lee commented that she has not been sleeping well these days given the heavy responsibility she feels.

“I wanted to ask [Yun], ‘Do you want all the grandmothers to die?’ but I didn't. We need to make the wishes of the remaining grandmothers come true,” Lee said, referring to herself and other aging survivors.

Yun, who was tapped on June 7 to serve as the South Korean ambassador to Japan, served as the head of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy for four years while Park Geun-hye was president.

By Kim Gyu-hyun, staff reporter

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