Seoul City to Hold International Forum on the "Japanese Military Comfort Women Memorial Day" on the 11th Ahead of the 14th

'Conflict and Women's Human Rights: Transitional Justice and the Politics of Responsibility' International Forum
Held Following Last Year, Discussing Women's Human Rights in International Conflicts

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] On the 14th, marking the Japanese military ‘comfort women’ Memorial Day, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 9th that it will hold an international forum online on the 11th with domestic and international ‘comfort women’ experts participating. This international forum is expected to be a meaningful platform for sharing, discussing the Japanese military ‘comfort women’ issue from a broad perspective of global conflicts and women’s human rights amid ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and other parts of the international community.

The forum, under the theme "Conflict and Women’s Human Rights: Transitional Justice and the Politics of Responsibility," will be conducted over three sessions featuring a ‘keynote speech,’ ‘presentations and discussions,’ and a ‘dialogue.’ The first session will begin with a keynote speech by Kim Eun-sil, Director of the Korean Women’s Studies Institute at Ewha Womans University. Through the keynote, questions will be raised about the Japanese military ‘comfort women’ issue, which is at a critical turning point where testimonies can no longer be given, the shift in perspectives on this issue, and the necessity of social responsibility.

The second session, titled "After Testimonies, New Responses," will deeply examine perspectives on women’s human rights issues in conflict situations domestically and internationally, including Indonesia, Korea, and Japan, through presentations and discussions. Starting with a keynote presentation by Professor Catherine McGregor of the University of Melbourne, specializing in East Asian history, on "Indonesian Comfort Women and Efforts to Resolve Historical Sexual Violence Cases in Indonesia," presentations on cases from Korea and Japan will follow, succeeded by expert discussions on the presentations.

Finally, the third session will feature a dialogue with Director Park Soo-nam, who directed the film "Silence" based on over 20 years of reporting on Korean and Japanese comfort women survivors, and writer Jeong Hee-jin, known for her insightful perspectives on violence against women and author of "The Challenge of Feminism."

Meanwhile, the international forum "Conflict and Women’s Human Rights: Transitional Justice and the Politics of Responsibility" will be broadcast live on the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s YouTube channel, allowing any citizen to participate and watch. Gang Ji-hyun, Gender Equality Policy Officer, said, “We hope this forum will be an opportunity to collectively examine conflicts in the international community, violence against women within them, and human rights, and to reexamine the Japanese military ‘comfort women’ issue.”