THE STATUE OF PEACE
There are many memorials dedicated to “Comfort Women” survivors, one of which is the Statue of Peace. This statue was specifically built as a way to remember and honor the women, while calling for an apology from the Japanese government for the atrocities that occurred.
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This statue was inspired by the Wednesday Demonstrations, and proposed by the Korean Council for Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan. The proposal was to erect a memorial stone in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, Korea, to serve as a reminder of the terrible things the “Comfort Women” were forced to endure under Imperial Japan during World War Two. In 2011, the proposal was passed, and a bronze statue was placed in front of the embassy.
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Yeong-jong Kim, mayor of Jongno-gu, provided design ideas and statue prototypes in the form of a young girl instead of a memorial stone. The statue was built by the couple Kim Woon-sung and Kim Seo-kyung.
The Statue of Peace shows a young girl dressed in chima jeogori, a modified form of hanbok in the late 19th to early 20th century, with small hands and short hair, sitting and staring at the embassy.
There is a meaning to everything chosen to be shown through the statue, as shown in the photo below.
Written By: Cathy Chuang
This is the 1st peace statue erected in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, Korea in time of 1000th Wednesday Demonstration. There is one in Toronto as well. It was erected in November 2015 inside of the Korean Canadian Cultural Association (1133 Leslie St, Toronto).
After the statue was installed, Japan made repeated demands that it be removed, and each time, the demands were met with outrage from the victims, and from many other supporters in Seoul. This was due to the fact that Japan has yet to admit its (direct) involvement with the Japanese military concerning the “Comfort Women” issue.
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In 2015, South Korea and Japan reached a consensus regarding compensation for the “Comfort Women” survivors: Japan would pay 1 billion yen in compensation fees, and in return, South Korea would remove the Statue of Peace in front of the Japanese Embassy. The South Korean government agreed, and the statue was removed, despite protests from the public and the survivors. However, a second statue was later installed in front of the Japanese embassy in Busan.
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Since then, Japan has recalled two of their diplomats from South Korea, and suspended high level talks between the two governments. This was done in protest of the statue. One of the artists of the Statue of Peace, Kim Woon-sung, conveyed that the precondition of taking down the statue in the 2015 agreement is dishonest, as it shows that Japan is not remorseful nor apologetic for what happened to these women.
Currently, there are dozens of these statues in South Korea, and six are located in other countries around the world, such as in Canada and the US. In Canada, the Statue of Peace is located in Toronto, Ontario, inside the Korean Canadian Cultural Association.
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Ultimately, this statue is one that remembers the many horrors the “Comfort Women” had to endure during the Second World War, and one that strives to seek justice on their behalf. It humbly asks for a well-deserved apology, while embodying the spirit of the “Comfort Women.” Without a doubt, it is an extremely powerful symbol and reminder to people everywhere of a tragic event that has unfortunately become a significant part of our history.
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Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Peace
https://news.artnet.com/art-world/comfort-women-statue-south-korea-japan-814244
http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/05/asia/south-korea-comfort-women-statue/