hankyoreh

South Korean President Moon Jae-in celebrates the 75th anniversary of Korea’s Liberation Day on Aug. 15, 2020. (provided by the Blue House)

South Korean President Moon Jae-in said a “resolution to the comfort women issue is about not repeating an unfortunate past,” in remarks on the eve of the National Liberation Day holiday on Sunday.

He also said he planned to “work so that a future of forgiveness and reconciliation can flower on a foundation of historical truth created by the testimony of the [victims] and the efforts of civil society and academia.”

Moon’s remarks came as part of a video message Saturday for the international memorial day for the “comfort women,” victims of wartime sexual enslavement by the Japanese military.

“It has been 30 years since the late Kim Hak-sun testified publicly about her victimization,” he noted.

Reflecting on the meaning of Kim’s actions, he added, “With that one sentence she spoke 30 years ago — ‘I am Hak-sun, and I was taken by force to serve as a Japanese military “comfort woman”’ — the truth came into the world.”

“Through the [victims], we were able to reflect on a history that can never be forgotten,” he added.

“I share my deepest respect and gratitude to these women, who showed the unbroken human dignity to rise up from innumerable hardships and adversities both during and after the war,” he said.

Moon also apologized for “failing to resolve the women’s grievances while all of them were still alive.”

Currently, just 14 former comfort women have survived among the 240 registered with the South Korean government.

“I intend to firmly uphold the international principle and norm of a ‘victim-centered resolution,’ communicating and offering support so that each [victim’s] dignity is restored and the scars in their hearts can mend,” Moon said.

“Restoring the women’s dignity and healing the pain is the achievement of that individual’s ‘liberation,’ which takes us one step closer to achieving complete liberation,” he added.

He closed the video message by saying, “I share my respects to the women for bequeathing us with a great legacy of solidarity and inclusiveness, courage, and the hope for human rights and peace, and I hope that all of them remain with us living long and healthy lives.”

By Lee Wan, staff reporter

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