Only five remain... The Comfort Women, a Silent "War of Memory" [Current Affairs Project: Window]

*This content was translated by AI.

Over 230 individuals who have passed away before us; now only five remain.

Testimonies from Japanese military "comfort women" victims continue to emerge, yet there is truly no time left. The health of the grandmothers deteriorates daily, yet voices claiming "the comfort women issue was a scam" do not subside. Japan, which should apologize, is instead dredging up its pacifist constitution. Will parting with these grandmothers lead to the erasure of history? Now that one century has passed since the establishment of the "comfort women" standard, a silent "war of memory" is underway. The KBS 1TV 'Current Affairs Project: Window' team stated, "The outcome of defeat could be another wartime sexual slavery Yangsan," and will present a special program titled "War of Memory: After Comfort Women Testimonies Stop" on the night of the 11th.

■ Denial, Distortion, Hate

"The comfort women were a scam; the grandmothers were prostitutes." This insult came from the mouths of our own citizens. It has been 35 years since the late Kim Hak-sun grandmother publicly testified about her suffering as a Japanese military comfort woman victim. Historical denial and distortion are growing, fueled by hatred. In this year's Japanese House of Representatives election, the Conservative Party, the Liberal Democratic Party, achieved a landslide victory. Projections suggest Japan may return to being a "war-capable nation" for the first time in over 80 years since the end of the war. What face will the Takaiichi administration's obfuscation of past history take?

■ The Statue of Peace You Don't Know

'Erasing comfort women' does not occur only within the territories of South Korea and Japan. Peace statues of girls commemorating "comfort women" victims around the world face the risk of removal. In 2018 in Manila, Philippines; in 2022 at Kassel University in Germany; and once in 2025 in Berlin, Germany, they were pulled down. Yet efforts to protect these statues continue. Overseas Koreans step forward, and local residents lend their support. The statue of peace has become a symbol and sign of resistance against all forms of violence against women. We shed light on the meaning of the statue of peace that our society had not yet fully grasped.

■ 'Bordels' and 'Comfort Women', Dreaming of the End of Sexual Slavery

During World War II, sexual slavery was not confined to East Asia. In Europe, the Nazi army also operated brothels known as "bordels." The women in these "bordels" were prisoners within forced labor camps and suffered sexual exploitation without any compensation.

A German historian who has tracked the horrific reality of "bordels" for over 20 years says that upon seeing the voluntary testimonies of Korean "comfort women" victims, they began research on the European region. They explore the reasons why wartime sexual violence continues despite international efforts and seek alternatives.

'Current Affairs Project: Window's' "War of Memory: After Comfort Women Testimonies Stop" can be viewed at 10 p.m. on the night of the 11th on KBS 1TV.

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*This content was translated by AI.