"Only Six Victims Survive,
Full Restoration of Honor Still Unachieved"
Lee Jae Myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, is attending a meeting with the heads of five major economic organizations held at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the 8th, and is announcing key messages on economic policy (photo to aid article understanding). Photo by National Assembly Press Photographers Group
Lee Jae Myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, expressed his condolences for the late Lee Okseon, a victim of the Japanese military's comfort women system, and pledged to fulfill his historical duty.
On May 12, Lee posted on his Facebook page, "I pray for the repose of Grandmother Lee Okseon. I will not forget her wishes."
Lee stated, "Grandmother Lee Okseon, who spent more than 20 years informing the world about the horrors of the Japanese military's comfort women system, has passed away. It has been less than three months since we bid farewell to the late Grandmother Gil Wonok in February, and now we must say goodbye to another. I cannot contain my grief."
He continued, "Everyone faces hardship in life, but Grandmother Lee Okseon became a victim of the Japanese military's comfort women system at the age of 14, in the midst of war. She was taken to a foreign land without knowing why, and it was not until the year 2000 that she could finally set foot on her homeland again. Her active participation in the human rights movement to resolve the comfort women issue since then was a desperate struggle to correct distorted history."
He added, "Now, only six victims survive; of the 240 victims who courageously stepped forward, 234 have already passed away. This fact reminds us of the urgency of time. Our society owes a great debt to those who exposed the pain of state violence and the issue of women's rights with their entire being, but we have yet to fully restore their honor."
Lee Jae Myung pledged to support the surviving grandmothers, clarify the historical truth, and restore their honor. He said, "This year marks the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day on August 15 and the 60th anniversary of the Korea-Japan Agreement. We must fully uphold the core values of restoring the honor of the victims and uncovering the historical truth. I will not forget the unfulfilled wishes of the grandmothers, and I will work even harder to clarify historical facts, restore honor, and support the victims."
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