Gyeongnam Province Designates 'Japanese Military Comfort Women Records' as First Domestic 'Provincial Designated Records'

37,485 Records Related to Comfort Women Victims and Problem Resolution in the Province

Oral audiovisual records of comfort women victims.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] On the 8th, the Gyeongsangnam-do Archives designated 37,485 records related to Japanese military comfort women as provincial designated records for the first time in Korea.

Provincial designated records are private records recognized by the governor as having permanent preservation value related to Gyeongsangnam-do, and the governor designates and supports their preservation and management.

The records designated this time include 37,171 items held by the "Tongyeong Geoje Citizens' Group with Japanese Military Comfort Women Grandmothers" and 314 items held by the "Namhae Women's Association."

Psychological therapy work for comfort women victims.

These records include oral histories of comfort women victims, materials related to the registration of comfort women victims, personal belongings and photos taken during their lifetime, and psychological therapy works of the victims, among other records related to the victims and the damage.

There are also records related to the resolution of the comfort women issue, such as activities urging the Japanese government for fact-finding, official apology, and legal compensation, as well as records produced during cultural festivals and events held with citizens.

Gyeongsangnam-do is explained as the largest damage area related to comfort women and simultaneously a region that has actively carried out movements, education, and memorial activities for resolving the comfort women issue.

An official from the province evaluated, "The designated records this time are extensive, ranging from victim-related records to problem-solving records," and added, "It is even more meaningful in that it encompasses various types such as paper documents, audiovisual materials, and museum artifacts."

According to the province, this designation is the first case since the enactment of the ordinance on the collection and management of private records in Gyeongsangnam-do in 2020.

Once designated as provincial designated records, changes are managed through the preparation of management ledgers, and necessary measures for preservation can be supported.

An official from the archives said, "Through the designation of provincial designated records, we will strengthen public management of comfort women-related records with high preservation value and make further efforts to ensure they are safely passed on to future generations."