Protest Rally in Front of Berlin's 'Statue of Peace'
"Comfort Women Are a Fraud," Demanding Removal
Locals Shout "Go Home," "Learn More" in Protest
Four members of the Comfort Women Fraud Resolution Solidarity, including Joo Ok-soon, the representative of Mom Corps, held a demonstration on the 26th (local time) in front of the Berlin Statue of Peace, holding signs that read "Stop the Comfort Women Fraud Now" and chanting slogans. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] It has been reported that far-right conservative group figures held a protest in Berlin, Germany, demanding the removal of the 'Statue of Peace.' Locally, Korean community groups and Germans gathered to protest and express anger at their demonstration.
On the 26th (local time), a protest calling for the removal of the Statue of Peace was held in front of the statue in Berlin's Mitte district. Four members of the 'Comfort Women Fraud Eradication Solidarity (Cheongsan Yeondae),' including Joo Ok-soon, head of the Mom Unit, Kim Byung-heon, director of the National History Textbook Research Institute, Lee Woo-yeon, research fellow at the Nakseongdae Institute of Economic Research, and Mr. Yoshida Kenji, criticized Korean figures raising the issue of Japanese military 'comfort women.'
On the same day, Representative Joo posted photos of the protest site on her social media (SNS). In the photos, Joo and others held banners reading "Stop Comfort Women Fraud! No More Comfort Women Fraud," and "Comfort Women Are Not Victims of Wartime Sexual Violence."
Locally, counter-protests condemning them were held. According to Yonhap News on the 27th, the Korea Council, German women's group Courage Women's Union, the International Committee of the German Metalworkers' Union, the Berlin Social Democratic Party (SPD) Mitte district youth committee, and the Berlin Japanese Women's Union gathered to hold a rally protesting the far-right group's demonstration. They shouted slogans in German and Korean such as "Go home" and "Learn more" to express their opposition.
Earlier, Han Jeong-hwa, president of the Korea Council, also conveyed the local people's anger in response to Cheongsan Yeondae's protest. In an interview with TBS Radio's 'Kim Eo-jun's News Factory' on the 23rd, when asked about the local reaction, he said, "At first, everyone couldn't believe it, but when I explained that 'this is a remnant of colonial rule,' they somewhat understood." He also mentioned that he informed German officials that these were people distorting history by denying the Japanese military comfort women issue. He added that requests for meetings from Cheongsan Yeondae have been declined.
Cheongsan Yeondae, formed in January, arrived in Berlin on the 25th. During their stay, they are known to have submitted statements and opinions to the Berlin City Council, sought meetings with representatives of the Korea Council, a German-based civic group that led the installation of the Berlin Statue of Peace, and planned local press conferences.
Meanwhile, the statue faced removal threats even at the time of installation. Installed on September 25, 2020, for a one-year term, the Japanese government demanded its removal from the German side, and a removal order was issued just two weeks after installation. However, the Korea Council filed for a suspension of the removal order's enforcement and engaged in legal battles. Amid public criticism, the Mitte district decided to preserve the statue.
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