[Editorial] Wednesday demonstrations need to return to “beginner’s mindset”

Posted on : 2020-05-14 17:50 KST Modified on : 2020-05-14 17:50 KST
The first Wednesday demonstration in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul on Jan. 8, 1992. (Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan website)
The first Wednesday demonstration in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul on Jan. 8, 1992. (Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan website)

The 1,439th Wednesday demonstration to demand a resolution to the Japanese military comfort women issue took place amid a somber atmosphere on May 13. The first demonstration held since a press conference last week by former comfort woman Lee Yong-su, it happened at a time when conservative media and politicians have been attempting to drum up controversy with allegations of inaccurate reports by the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan (Korean Council) -- a group campaigning for the human rights of survivors -- and issues with the tuition fees of the daughter of recently elected Democratic Party lawmaker Yoon Mee-hyang, former chair of the Korean Council.

The first Wednesday demonstration was held on Jan. 8, 1992, ahead of a South Korean visit by then Japanese Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa to call for the Japanese government to acknowledge responsibility for war crimes associated with the comfort women, issue a formal apology, and investigate the issue. The weekly demonstrations have continued, regardless of the weather, for the 28 years ever since. In that time, 220 of the 238 comfort women survivors registered with the government have passed away. Right wingers in both South Korea and Japan continue to attack and insult the survivors even today.

The 1,439th Wednesday demonstration in front of the old Japanese Embassy in Seoul on May 13. (Kim Bong-gyu, senior staff writer)
The 1,439th Wednesday demonstration in front of the old Japanese Embassy in Seoul on May 13. (Kim Bong-gyu, senior staff writer)

But all that time has not been in vain. The Wednesday demonstrations have been occasions for people from all walks of life -- including survivors, activists, and students -- to congregate and raise awareness of forgotten truths. The elderly survivors have stood proudly as activists for peace and human rights, while students, young people, and members of the public have learned about history. The demonstrations have been opportunities for solidarity, as people have visited from all over the world and pledged to ensure that wartime sexual violence never happens again. The Wednesday demonstrations have been a campaign for human rights and peace almost without parallel anywhere else in the world.

At the latest demonstration, attendees reflected on the gatherings’ significance and emphasized the need to “return to the beginner’s mindset.” Lee Tae-hee, a university student, said, “Over the past five years, I’ve learned here through the voices of [survivors] Kim Bok-dong, Gil Won-ok, and Lee Yong-su just what peace and human rights are, and I’ve learned what solidarity is.” Lee Pan-su, a volunteer activist, said, “This small bit of discord has done great damage to the peaceful community we’ve established together over the past 28 years. I just hope we can return to the beginning without scapegoating people.” Members of the public who watched the demonstration live on YouTube left messages of support, with one writing that “the 30 years we have spent supporting the survivors cannot be summed up in a few lines from an article” and another urging, “Be steady like a rock with the Wednesday demonstrations.”

In a position statement the same day, Lee Yong-su seemed to share a similar message, writing that she “look[s] forward to interaction and joint activities increasing among South Korean and Japanese students” and calling for “overcoming the errors and missteps within the battle over the past 30 years.”

We hope that the Wednesday demonstrations remain unbowed by the controversy, returning to that beginner’s mindset going forward as a setting for peace, human rights, and solidarity toward a resolution on the Japanese military comfort women issue.

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

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