Japanese Military Sexual Slavery Victim Grandmother Passes Away... Only 8 Survivors Remain

Funeral to Be Private According to Family's Wishes

The Justice Memory Solidarity (Jeonguiyeon) announced on the 7th that victim A of the Japanese military sexual slavery passed away the day before.

According to Jeonguiyeon, A went to China with a friend at the age of 18 to work at a sewing factory but was taken as a Japanese military comfort woman and suffered hardships.

Statue of Peace in Berlin, Germany.
Photo by Yonhap News

Even after liberation in 1945, A could not return home and only reunited with family in the early 2000s.

After registering with the government as a victim of Japanese military sexual slavery, A actively participated in Wednesday demonstrations and overseas testimonies, engaging in activities to resolve the issue of Japanese military sexual slavery.

Jeonguiyeon stated that the funeral will be held privately according to the wishes of the bereaved family.

They added, "The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family will carefully ensure that comfort women victims can spend their remaining years peacefully and will also promote commemorative projects to restore their honor and dignity."

With A's passing, the number of surviving registered victims of Japanese military sexual slavery has decreased to eight. All of them are between 94 and 96 years old, with an average age of 95.