"Remembering the Life and Will of the Deceased"
"Deepest Condolences to the Bereaved Family"
"We Will Carry On the Spirit of Human Dignity"
Grandfather Lee Chunsik, a victim of forced labor during the Japanese colonial period, passed away due to old age, and former President Moon Jae-in conveyed a message of condolence.
On the 28th, former President Moon opened his statement on his social media account by saying, "I heard the sad news that Grandfather Lee Chunsik, a victim of forced mobilization by Nippon Steel, has passed away." He added, "I remember and mourn the life and will of the deceased, and extend my deepest condolences to the bereaved family."
He continued, "Grandfather Lee Chunsik was the main figure who led a historic victory in the compensation lawsuit against the war crime company Nippon Steel," and recalled, "I vividly remember the scene where he shed tears longing for his comrades who passed away before the joy of victory." He added, "Those tears of sorrow and joy were the tears of all of us," and said, "We, the future generations, will carry on the spirit of human dignity and indomitable will that Grandfather Lee Chunsik personally demonstrated by testifying to history, and build a country we can be proud of."
According to the Citizens' Group for Forced Mobilization during the Japanese Colonial Period, Grandfather Lee passed away due to old age on the morning of the previous day at a nursing hospital in Dong-gu, Gwangju. It is known that he had been receiving treatment at the nursing hospital since the second half of last year due to deteriorating health while hospitalized at a local hospital.
Grandfather Lee was forcibly mobilized to Nippon Steel, the predecessor of Shin Nippon Steel, in the 1940s and endured harsh labor under poor conditions. After Japan's defeat, he returned to Korea but did not receive wages for his labor. In October 2018, the Supreme Court recognized the liability of Japanese companies such as Nippon Steel and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for compensation related to forced labor, but the defendant companies did not accept this ruling.
In response, the Korean government announced a "third-party payment method" solution, in which the compensation that Japanese companies should pay is instead provided by the Foundation for the Support of Victims of Forced Mobilization during the Japanese Colonial Period, which raised funds. Grandfather Lee received the compensation and delayed interest in October of last year.
Grandfather Lee's funeral parlor is set up in Room 201 of the VIP Funeral Hall in Seo-gu, Gwangju, and the funeral procession will take place on the 29th.
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