Meeting with 6 Victims Since Inauguration to Hear Opinions
Promoting Commemorative Projects Including Youth Contests and Records
[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] Jeong Young-ae, Minister of Gender Equality and Family, will meet with two former Japanese military comfort women victims in the Changwon area on the 20th, in celebration of Family Month, to check whether there is any lack of support.
Since her appointment, Minister Jeong has met with six former Japanese military comfort women victims to hear their opinions. In April, she met two victims in Daegu, and in March, she met with Grandmother Lee Yong-soo to discuss support-related matters for the victims.
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family has been expanding support and commemorative projects for former Japanese military comfort women victims. The living stability support fund has been raised by 74,000 KRW from the previous year to 1,548,000 KRW per person per month. The monthly limit for nursing care expenses per person has increased by 120,000 KRW to 1,000,000 KRW compared to the previous year.
To honor the former Japanese military comfort women victims, the Comfort Women Victims Act (abbreviated) was amended to designate August 14 as "Remembrance Day" starting in 2018, and since 2019, the Japanese Military Comfort Women Issue Research Institute has been established and operated.
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family is also conducting commemorative projects to restore the dignity and honor of the former Japanese military comfort women victims. To raise awareness of the issue among youth, a student and youth art contest will be held starting in May, and an exhibition project of records related to the victims will also be operated.
To inform the international community about the issue of former Japanese military comfort women, efforts are underway to register "Voices of the Comfort Women" as a UNESCO Memory of the World, and an international academic conference on "Women's Human Rights and Peace" is planned for December.
Minister Jeong Young-ae of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family stated, "I will continue efforts to directly meet with former Japanese military comfort women victims to confirm whether there is any insufficient support and to listen to their opinions on related issues," adding, "We will continuously strengthen data collection, education for future generations, and promotional activities to prevent any further distortion attempts regarding the issue of former Japanese military comfort women, which has been historically proven through numerous victims' testimonies and international organization investigations as a wartime sexual violence problem."
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