hankyoreh

South Chungcheong Province

Ahn Jeom-sun let out a deep sigh.

“Oh, for goodness’ sake,” the 89-year-old said. “If the government does this kind of thing, is there ever going to be any good news?”

According to Ahn, seeing Seoul’s recent establishment of its Reconciliation and Healing Foundation to support comfort women survivors has been a wounding experience.

“We need a sincere apology. What good is cash?” she asked.

in Dangjin

Ahn and other surviving comfort women all around South Korea voiced their frustration with the foundation’s establishment process during visits from Sept. 7 to 9 by members of the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan (Jeongdaehyeop) ahead of the Chuseok national holiday.

“If I were in good health, I’d go after all of them, even the Blue House and Japan,” said Ahn, who took part in filing a lawsuit on Aug. 25 to demand damages from the South Korean government. “I’m not, so I feel bad for the people who are trying so hard to help.”

In particular, Ahn said she had a “debt of the heart” to the young people who have been watching over a statue symbolizing the comfort women in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul and the members of the public who have taken part in the survivors’ regular Wednesday demonstrations. She hopes that her health will improve enough to allow her to attend the December unveiling of another comfort woman statue currently being erected in Freiburg, Germany.

Former comfort woman Lee Gi-jeong smiles warmly while meeting with members of the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan (Jeongdaehyeop)

Lee Gi-jeong’s face grew dark as she heard about Japan’s demands for the embassy statue’s removal during a summit with South Korea the day before.

“I was so young, and the older girls who were dragged off with me were so good to me,” the 91-year-old said as she met with Ahn Seong-mi, head of Jeongdaehyeop’s peace team, in Dangjin, South Chungcheong Province. As she spoke, Lee caressed a miniature version of the statue Ahn had brought with her.

The survivors’ health has been declining by the day.

Park Suk-i, 95, appeared gaunt as she met with Jeongdaehyeop secretary-general Kim Dong-hee in Namhae County, South Gyeongsang Province.

“I get dizzy and out of breath, so it’s tough for me to speak,” she said. “It’s frustrating and embarrassing to not understand people well.”

Seeing the elderly survivors’ health decline each year has also been unsettling for Jeongdaehyeop members. After Kim listened to Park speak about the demonstrations held every Wednesday afternoon in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul, she repeated the words “Thank you” again and again.

By Park Soo-jin, staff reporter

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]

A member of the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan (Jeongdaehyeop) hands a small comfort woman statue to former comfort woman Lee Gi-jeong, in Dangjin, South Chungcheong Province, on Sept. 8. Lee was moved to tears by the gesture. (provided by Jeongdaehyeop)

　Former comfort woman An Jeom-sun smiles warmly while meeting with members of the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan (Jeongdaehyeop) in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, on Sept. 7. (provided by Jeongdaehyeop)