Comfort women survivors call for historical preservation and legal justice

As the August 14 ‘Comfort Women Victims Memorial Day’ approaches, survivors and local officials are calling for sustained efforts to preserve the history of Japanese military sexual slavery.

Survivor Lee Yong-soo, one of only five remaining living victims, expressed an urgent desire for the establishment of a history school to ensure future generations understand the tragedy. She has advocated for the issue to be resolved through the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and has called for the Japanese government to provide formal apologies and legal reparations.

In Busan, City Council member Nam Myung-sook emphasized that the issue is a contemporary human rights and peace challenge rather than a closed chapter of history. She urged local government and educational authorities to develop specialized programs and materials to teach the history of the victims, ensuring that their testimonies are preserved as vital historical assets for the international community.