Obituary for Lee OO Halmoni

Lee OO halmoni passed away at 7:30am on January 28, 2019.

She was born in 1925. Around 1942 when she was 17 years old, she was heading home from her work at a textile factory with two colleagues. Then they were abducted by two soldiers who rode the military truck.
There were several women who were on the truck already. Together with 10~15 women who were on the other truck, they were all forced to board a ship to Shimonoseki, Japan. After Shimonoseki to Manchuria, halmoni suffered from the Japanese military sexual slavery.

She learned that Korea became independent after the Japanese soldiers stopped coming all of a sudden. Yet without any money or anyone to let her know how to return home, she struggled to come back. After hearing that there is a ship leaving for Korea, she went to the harbor with two colleagues, pleaded a Korean captain, and boarded a smuggling vessel that carries salt to Korea.

Throughout her life, Lee halmoni suffered from sense of guilt and victim mentality. Sorrow, pain, and loneliness stayed on her face every time we visited. Yet she warmly greeted the activists and even checked on us if we went back home safely.

Her health exacerbated since late 2018, and she suffered from great pain till her passing.

Halmoni, we wish that you may rest in peace and forget about all painful memories.

All funeral processes are not disclosed, in respect of halmoni and her family.