Grandmother Lee Yong-soo, a 'Comfort Woman,' Files Complaint Against National Assembly Security Personnel for Injuries

On the night of the 3rd, at a hotel in downtown Seoul used as accommodation for Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, grandmother Lee Yong-soo was waiting to deliver a letter requesting support for resolving the issue of Japanese military 'comfort women' to Speaker Pelosi. However, on that day, Speaker Pelosi and her party entered the hotel through a different entrance, not the main gate where the press was waiting, and the letter was not delivered. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Hyewon] Grandmother Lee Yong-soo, a victim of the Japanese military sexual slavery, has filed a complaint with the police against the head of security affiliated with the National Assembly Secretariat and others.

According to the police on the 22nd, Grandmother Lee, along with officials from the "Committee for the Promotion of Referring the Japanese Military Sexual Slavery Issue to the International Court of Justice (Promotion Committee)," appeared at the Yeongdeungpo Police Station in Seoul on the same day and submitted a complaint requesting punishment for the National Assembly security personnel who excessively restrained her, on charges of assault, injury, and professional negligence causing injury.

The Promotion Committee stated, "Although Grandmother Lee sustained injuries requiring two weeks of medical treatment, there has never been any apology or contact from the National Assembly Secretariat side," and added, "We submitted the complaint with the intention of identifying not only the security guards present at the scene but also the person responsible for commanding at that time."

Grandmother Lee herself emphasized, "This is unacceptable," and said, "It must never happen again."

Earlier, on the 4th, Grandmother Lee was waiting at the National Assembly Sarangchae to meet Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, who was visiting Korea, when she fell from her wheelchair due to restraint by National Assembly security guards and was injured.

The police received a report of the assault the following day and began a preliminary investigation before formal charges.