Yang Geumdeok, Victim of Forced Mobilization by Japan, Receives Canceled Medal After 3 Years

Award of the Republic of Korea Human Rights Medal to Yang Geumdeok
Resumed After Three-Year Delay Due to Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Opposition Under Yoon Suk-yeol Administration

Yang Geumdeok, a 96-year-old survivor of forced mobilization during Japanese colonial rule, has received the Order of Civil Merit from the government more than three years after it was canceled under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration.

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea announced on August 2 that it had awarded Yang Geumdeok the Republic of Korea Human Rights Award (Order of Civil Merit, Moran Medal) for her dedication to restoring the human rights of victims of forced mobilization during the Japanese occupation. Along with the medal, a commemorative presidential watch was also presented as a prize.

On the 2nd, the National Human Rights Commission awarded the Republic of Korea Human Rights Award (Moran Medal of the Order of Civil Merit) to Yang Geumdeok (94, center front), a victim of forced mobilization during the Japanese colonial period. From the back row, left to right: Min Yoonki, officer at Gwangju Human Rights Office; Yuk Seongcheol, director; and Kang Eunmi, head of the Democracy and Veterans Affairs Division of Gwangju Metropolitan City. Provided by the Human Rights Commission

The government had considered presenting the medal to Yang during the upcoming Liberation Day ceremony on August 15, but, given her advanced age and her current hospitalization, officials visited her directly to deliver the award. The ceremony was attended by about 10 people, including staff from the nursing hospital, close family and relatives, and officials from Gwangju City, who gathered to celebrate Yang's achievement.

Yook Seongcheol, head of the National Human Rights Commission's Gwangju office, read the presidential citation and presented the medal on behalf of the president. Yook explained, "In 2022, the National Human Rights Commission recommended Yang Geumdeok for the Republic of Korea Human Rights Award, Moran Medal, but just before the item was submitted to the vice ministers' meeting, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs halted the process, citing a lack of inter-ministerial coordination. After numerous objections, it has taken three years for Yang to finally receive the medal." He also emphasized the significance of the award, noting that other notable recipients of the Moran Medal include Father Cho Biu, Bae Eunsim, and Lee Soseon.

On the morning of the 2nd, Yang Geumdeok, a 94-year-old victim of forced mobilization during the Japanese occupation, received the Moran Medal of the Order of Civil Merit at a nursing hospital in Donggu, Gwangju. Photo by Yonhap News

Previously, the Human Rights Commission had recommended Yang for the Republic of Korea Human Rights Award in December 2022, recognizing her efforts over 30 years to demand an apology and compensation from the Japanese government for forced mobilization. However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration blocked the process, claiming it required prior consultation, and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety did not submit the item to the Cabinet, resulting in the cancellation of the award. At the time, civic groups criticized the government for "excessively catering to Japan."

Discussions on awarding the Republic of Korea Human Rights Award to Yang resumed after the inauguration of the Lee Jaemyung administration. On July 29, President Lee reviewed and approved the honorary award for Yang at a Cabinet meeting.

In May 1944, while she was a sixth-grade student at Naju Elementary School, Yang was deceived by promises that she could earn money and study in Japan. She was forcibly mobilized to work at the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Nagoya Aircraft Factory, where she endured hardship, received no wages, and suffered until her return to Korea after liberation.

During 1944?1945, the Japanese authorities deceived young Korean girls and forced them into military factories to paint aircraft parts and perform other forced labor, all without pay. To this day, Japan has not issued an apology.

Since 1992, Yang has fought for over 30 years to demand compensation for victims of the Girls' Volunteer Labor Corps and to resist human rights abuses such as forced mobilization during the Japanese occupation. In November 2018, the Supreme Court ruled that Mitsubishi must pay Yang and other victims compensation of 100 million to 120 million won each, but both the Japanese government and the company refused to comply.

When Yang sought to enforce the seizure of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' assets in Korea, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs submitted an opinion to the Supreme Court in 2022 stating that "diplomatic time with Japan is needed," and the ruling remains suspended to this day.