2020 Activity Report ENG

Read on Issuu in Korean: https://issuu.com/womenandwar.kc/docs/___2020______210414___

The below is a selected English translation, thanks to our volunteers Hwang Yunji and anonymous! Once again, thank you so much for your works!

Page number and heading in bold, matched with the PDF.

10-11 Message from Chair of Board

It’s all thanks to you.

2020 was a year of hardship. The Korean Council’s movement for just resolution of the Japanese military sexual slavery issue faced its greatest crisis in the 30th year of its official establishment. Since May, accusations by conservative groups and the media’s indiscriminately distorted reports continued and a prosecution investigation took place. Citizens at home and abroad with any involvement or interest in the movement were affected and they began to reconsider their relationship with the movement and their relationship with the victims.

With growing suspicion/doubt of the movement’s ‘sincerity’ and ‘morality’, the Korean Council activists were feeling physically and emotionally beaten up, but we did our best to reveal the truth of the movement and correct the false allegations. In response to the false and distorted reports, we filed a complaint to the Press Arbitration Commission and a lawsuit for damages against the media. Fortunately, in effect, since June, the Korean Council became free from most of the suspicions raised by the media. According to the prosecution investigation results, allegations such as ‘accounting fraud’, ‘misappropriation of donation’ and ‘redundant and repetitive government subsidies’ were proved to be groundless.

Usual campaigns were carried out as well. As a response to COVID-19, we adopted a new format, ‘Online Wednesday Demonstration’ and the 1420th to 1472nd Wednesday demonstrations went smoothly, and the 8.14 International Memorial Day for Japanese Military “Comfort Women” event ended with great success. In addition to supporting the survivors of the Japanese military “comfort women” in Korea, we also delivered the Butterfly Fund to victims of wartime sexual violence in Uganda, DR Congo, and Vietnam, and led a monumental project to establish a Statue of Peace on a public site in Berlin, Germany. In celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan, we held events such as homecoming day, symposium, survey, commemorative video production, oral interview with activists and strengthened solidarity with domestic and foreign solidarity organizations and supporters through plaques of appreciation and gifts.

Aside from these, we hosted a symposium commemorating the 20th anniversary of the ‘2000 Women’s International Tribunal’ and a symposium in Okinawa and held exhibitions. To not only overcome the crisis but also succeed the history and meaning of the Japanese military sexual slavery movement into a progressive direction, the was formed and we held hearings across the country and underwent expert analysis. Additionally, we inspected our organization, programs, and activities and worked towards an improvement plan.

2020, the year of a rocky road has now come to an end and a new year of hope has arrived. Looking back at 2020 right now, it just seems like a miracle. It is thanks to all the dedicated activists, solidarity groups, seniors, and supporters that we were able to stand up again. Thank you so much for supporting us and for believing in us. We will continue to do our best to not let you down.

As we enter the new year with the Jan 8 ruling for resolution of the Japanese military “comfort women” issue, 2021 will be a year of reform with the formation of a new board of directors, redirection of activities, and organizational reform. As we continue to take the lead in addressing the issue of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan, we will do our best to become an organization with well-grounded efficiency, strengthened system and security and become an international platform for women’s human rights and peace movement and research. We look forward to your continued support and cooperation in the future.

March 2021

Lee, Na-Young

Chair of Board

The Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan

14-17 News from the Halmonis

In 2020, due to COVID 19, we weren’t able to visit the halmonis very often as we had to remain cautious. Instead, considering the situation of the halmonis, we called 2-4 times a week to check up on their health and to provide any immediate support if needed. 

Also, to lessen their boredom from not being able to go out, we kept them company. We visited those who had their birthdays and if the circumstances didn’t allow us to do so, we wished them over the phone and sent them flowers, cakes, and gifts.

On Mother’s Day, we called the halmonis and at the shelter Peaceful Our Home, we held an event to commemorate Mother’s Day where we gave flowers to Gil Won-ok halmoni and sang songs. For Lunar New Year and Chuseok (Korean Mid-autumn Festival), we sent gifts for the halmonis. Additionally, to prepare for COVID 19, we sent hand sanitizers and thermometers as well as food, snacks, and other essential living supplies. 

Halmonis, we missed you! 

Gil Won-ok 

After staying at the shelter Peaceful Our Home for a while, she went to her son’s house in Incheon. We were informed that she has been feeling ill lately and we are worried about our “singer” who would sing for us whenever we visited her. Halmoni, we hope you recover soon, and we miss you a lot.

Kim Gyeong-ae

Halmoni Kim, who lives with her daughter, suffers from a lot of leg pain. Her daughter is constantly worried because halmoni refuses to have her leg treated with acupuncture which could help. However, thanks to her daughter’s personalized care, she is doing well. We hope the COVID 19 situation improves so we can see pay her a visit. 

Kim

Halmoni Kim, who lives alone, has had her health deteriorate lately. It seems like she has been taking more medication than having a proper meal and this has been worrying us a lot. We hope COVID 19 will get better so that Halmoni Kim, our social butterfly, can go out again whenever she wants. 

Kim Yang-ju

Halmoni Kim has been in the nursing hospital for quite some time now. Even though she is unable to communicate, we would spend time with her by holding her hand whenever we visit her. However, with COVID 19 regulations not allowing any visits, we could hardly see her so instead, we checked up on her through the phone. We look forward to the day when we can see her again. 

Kim

Halmoni Kim has been going to ‘Nochiwon’ (Day Care Centre) frequently. Whenever we bring her meat, she would laugh and say, “how did you know I like meat?” However, her health has worsened from her recent fall. We hope halmoni will recover soon - stay strong halmoni!”

Park Pil-geun

Halmoni Park, who lives alone in Pohang, always treats us with warmth as if we were her own grandchildren. Whenever we pay her a visit, she would pack up the vegetables she had grown and would worry about our way back. She would always tell us to eat a lot of good food and travel as much as we can when we are younger. Apparently, she was one active youngster back in the days. We hope that we will soon have more time to spend with her and play hwatu (Korean card game). 

Anonymous

Although she lives alone, her daughter often comes around to keep her company. She has a very good memory and looks much younger than her age. She is well informed about the world from all the news she watches, and she is indeed a smart lady who is very well spoken. Please stay healthy. 

Yoon

Halmoni Yoon is bed bound and her body has weakened a lot. Although she is stable thanks to her daughter’s utmost care, we are still very worried. We hope halmoni will gain some strength soon. 

Lee Yong-soo

Halmoni Lee from Daegu is nationwide with her activism. She meets a lot of people and is a committed activist. Halmoni Lee’s activism only seems to make her stronger. We hope she maintains her health without having to worry about COVID 19 so she can continue her activism. 

Ham

Halmoni Ham is a storyteller. Whether it’s in person or over the phone, she never runs out of things to say. Whenever she tells us stories about her home city, Seoul, the vivid description of Myeong-dong, Jongno, Gwanghwamun, etc. makes it seem as if we’re watching a scene from a historical drama. Whenever you’re talking to halmoni Ham, time flies. We hope that halmoni will only see good things, think only good thoughts and be at ease.

22 Memorial Festival

Kim Hak-soon halmoni’s public testimony on August 14th, 1991 led victims in different parts of the world to come forward with their stories as victims of military sexual slavery by Japan during World War II. August 14th was, therefore, proclaimed as the International Memorial Day for Japanese Military “Comfort Women.” The Memorial Festival was organized in remembrance of the victims’ lives and their human rights movement.

International Memorial Day for Japanese Military “Comfort Women”: The year 2020 was the 30th anniversary of the movement for resolving the issue of the Japanese military sexual slavery and the 8th International Memorial Day. The theme of the 8th Memorial Day was “Voice of Victims, We Remember Forever! Resonate Endlessly! Expand Indefinitely!” A press conference and the Butterfly festival were held and campaigns such as “Like A Rock TikTok Challenge” and “Handwritten Message” were organized in order to remember the courageous voices of the victims.

23 The Statue of Peace

On December 14th, 2011, the Statue of Peace was established in front of the Japanese Embassy in Korea to commemorate the 1000th Wednesday Demonstration, in the hope that the tragedy will not happen again and that the wartime sexual assault will stop.

Domestic/overseas activity support: The Statues of Peace commemorate the history of the Japanese military sexual slavery and convey the message of women’s human rights and peace. They are not only established in Korea but also in other parts of the world with the help of many individuals who long for human rights and peace.

Have Courage, Berlin! The Statue of Peace must stay there!: Despite the objection of the Japanese government and the right-wing, the citizens were able to protect and keep the Statue of Peace at its place in Berlin. We had sent a letter to the United Nations regarding the preparation process of the installation, the solidarity, the oppression of the Japanese government to demolish the Statue, and how it infringes on freedom of expression

24 Legal Response

Lawsuits against Japan

January 8th, 2021, the Seoul Central District Court recognized the Japanese Government’s responsibilities to make reparations to the 12 Japanese military sexual slavery victims. 

This is a monumental judgment that clearly states that a country that has caused major damage to individuals in other countries such as crimes against humanity cannot avoid reparation by using the theory of ‘state immunity’, and that ‘state immunity’ does not apply to serious human rights violations.

Japanese Military Sexual Slavery Victims’ Lawsuits against Japan

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Kim Hak-sun’s courageous public testimony on August 14, 1991. It is because of the victims who have been fighting persistently for the past 30 years that we were able to finally uncover the nature of the Japanese Military Sexual Slavery System and win the judgment acknowledging Japan’s legal responsibility. 

The above-mentioned lawsuit is a judgement in which 12 victims, including grandma/halmoni Bae Chun-hee, requested a petition for mediation in 2013 and was referred to the main lawsuit. The trial which the 20 plaintiffs including Kwak Ye-nam requested for complaint on December 28, 2016, on the one-year anniversary of the signing of the Korea-Japan Agreement in 2015, will be held in the next anniversary in 2021.

Following the court’s verdict, the Korean Council will contribute to the restoration of honor and human rights of the victims by holding Japan accountable by sharing the legal meaning of the historical judgment with the public and finding ways to respond.

Legal meaning of the ruling 

For the past 30 years, victims have struggled for the truth to be recognized, and finally, with the verdict addressing the illegality of the Japanese military sexual slavery system, this acknowledgement and sympathy towards the victims have allowed the victims to obtain full citizenship through judgement. 

It marks the change from a state-centered international law order (sovereign immunity) to a human rights-centered international order. Wartime sexual violence has evolved from being seen as an “inevitable and impossible act to be punished” to a serious crime which now focuses on the respect and dignity of the human rights of the victims. In effect, it has paved the way for redress the victims of state violence.

27 Response to Historical Revisionism

After the publication of the book “Anti-Japan Tribalism” in 2019, the movement of the historical negationists intensified. History that has not been properly liquidated caused great suffering to the victims once again by distortion of the history. The Korean Council will hold those who have committed historical misconduct and violated the human rights of the victims legally accountable.

28 Solidarity

Domestic solidarity

After the press conference of the victim “Lee Yong-soo” on May 2020, the media accused the Korean Council of accounting fraud and reported false news about the organization. Despite this difficult situation, many continued to support our movement.

Questionnaires sent to 10 political parties in response to the 21st general election

On April 1st, questionnaires were sent to 10 political parties in response to the 21st general election. We received positive responses from 7 of them regarding the implementation of the return measures of 1-billion-yen compensation fund received by the “Reconciliation and Healing Foundation” from the Japanese government, an amendment to the associated laws for the establishment of the “Women’s Human Rights and Peace Foundation,” and the legislation related to history distortion.

The Korean Council then distributed press releases and card news and participated in the activities to promote the establishment of the “Women’s Human Rights and Peace Foundation.”

U.S. Military “Comfort Women” Human Right Solidarity

The U.S. military “comfort women” Human Right Solidarity was officially launched in 2012 following the symposium held in 2018 to publicize military base village women’s human rights issue. Solidarity activities related to victim support and thorough investigation of the U.S. military “comfort women” issue have been carried out.

North-South Solidarity

After receiving the New Year greetings letter from the North in January 2020, the Korean Council sent several letters to the North proposing to announce a joint statement between North and South Korea and to form a solidarity statement related to Memorial Day. No response was received, yet we will continue to make efforts to resolve the problem of Japanese military sexual slavery issue and to form a joint venture related to peace on the Korean Peninsula with the united power of North and South Korea.

30 International Solidarity

After raising the issue to the UN Human Rights Council in 1992, the Korean Council have been participating in various international activities for the resolution of the issue of Japanese military sexual slavery.

International Symposium on the 20th Anniversary of the Women’s International War Crimes Tribunal on Japan’s Military Sexual Slavery

The symposium, cohosted by Japan and Korea, was a powerful steppingstone to legal reparation for the victims by clarifying that the Japanese government committed crimes against humanity and by convicting Emperor Hirohito.

Joint Action for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Chosen School

“Not because we covet a box of masks but because we hope our children’s lives to be treated equally” – Director of the Saitama Korean Kindergarten

On March 10, the city of Saitama in Japan excluded Saitama Korean Kindergarten from its public mask distribution plan. “The Hope of Kim Bok Dong,” the Korean Council, and other organizations together took a joint action and protested the city’s discriminatory behavior and donated masks and funds to Chosen Gakko Schools.

The A to Z Guide for Just Resolution of the Japanese Military Sexual Slavery Issue (2020) is now available online for free.

Announcement to be in solidarity with a victim of the civilian massacre by Korean soldiers during the U.S.-Vietnam War

The Korean Council will be in solidarity with the victim “Nguyen Thi Thanh” who was the first to file a national compensation claim against the Korean government. We believe that the Korean government must thoroughly investigate the massacre and the sexual violence by the Korean military during the U.S.-Vietnam War and fulfill its legal responsibility.

Korea-Japan Youth Exchange Program

The Korea-Japan Youth Exchange Program, which was co-hosted with the “Kibotane Fund” in Japan, conducted a project to create resources such as educational videos and card games that can help raise awareness about the Japanese military sexual slavery issue.

Participation in the Korea-Japan Reconciliation and Peace Platform

On July 2nd, 2020, civil society and religious groups in Korea and Japan came together and launched the platform in order to overcome the unfortunate history of Korea and Japan and to practice reconciliation and peace.

32 Butterfly Fund

Butterfly Fund was established by the victims Kim Bok-dong and Gil Won-ok in efforts to support victims of wartime sexual violence.

Vietnam: Since 2013, we have been supporting the victims who were raped by Korean soldiers during U.S.-Vietnam War. We will continue to hold the Korean government accountable for the civilian massacre and sexual assault, and work in solidarity to restore the honor of the victims.

Uganda

Since 2017, we have been funding the organizations “WEND Africa,” “Golden Women Vision,” and “Can Rwede Peke” These organizations have been supporting the survivors of Uganda Lord’s Resistance Army by distributing soap and cooking oil and giving out sanitary pads to the vulnerable women.

Democratic Republic of Congo

The Butterfly Fund has been in solidarity with the women victims of civil war sexual violence in Democratic Republic of Congo since 2012 and supported two organizations “Remed” and “Apdud” in 2020. On the Memorial Day, a discussion on the testimony of Kim Hak-soon and an anti-war signage event were held in DR Congo.

34 Education Scholarship Project

The Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan promotes a scholarship project to educate the future generations on human dignity and human rights. Following the will of the victims, the project aims to provide students with opportunities to study freely in a peaceful world while remembering the lives of the victims and passing the messages for peace and human rights on to next generations.

Lecture Tour: The themes of the nationwide lecture tour include “violence against women”, “women’s human rights”, and “peace”. We are planning on using different platforms such as online education videos so that the lectures will be more accessible.

Ahn Jeom-soon scholarship: On February 7th, 2020, Ahn Jeom-soon (“the gentian flower”) scholarship was awarded as the last Marymond Peace Gardener Scholarship sponsored by the corporation “Marymond.”

Kim Hak-soon & Kang Duk-kyung scholarship

The Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan created the scholarships in the name of Kim Hak-soon, the first woman in Korea to publicly testify her experiences as a victim of the Japanese military sexual slavery, and Kang Duk-kyung, the survivor who raised awareness of the Japanese government’s atrocities throughout the world with her paintings.  On November 24th, 2020, the Kim Hak-soon scholarship was awarded to a student.

36 Promotions

We inform the citizens on the various activities we organize for the resolution of the issues of military sexual slavery by Japan and communicate globally through YouTube, social media, and newsletters.

Online promotions: Due to the COVID 19, we have been leading Wednesday Demonstration in the form of a press conference and sharing live stream videos of the event.

Newsletter: The monthly newsletters provide a summary of the various activities done by The Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan. Contents include information on the domestic and international solidarity, the survivors, the Butterfly Fund, and Wednesday Demonstration.

Community Screening: We have been screening the documentaries, “The Murmuring,” “My Heart Is Not Broken Yet,” “The Apology,” “My Name Is Kim Bok-dong” in different regions of Korea and Japan. In Osaka, the audiences showed their support by donating 50,000 Japanese yen for the establishment of Kim Bok-dong Center

38 War and Women’s Human Rights Museum

Special exhibition: Studies related to women’s human rights issues, including the Japanese military sexual slavery issues, were shared with the public

People who were taken away, a memorabilia exhibition of the survivors of the Japanese military “comfort women.”

A new beginning, a journey to find the way.

In celebration of the Korean Council’s 30th Anniversary, a commemorative exhibition of the survivors of the Japanese military sexual slavery, “A new beginning, a journey to find the way,” was held. This exhibition became the starting point of the journey to find a new way for the resolution of the Japanese military sexual slavery issue.

The Korean Council’s 30th Anniversary Exhibition. 30 years on the road. In the end, it was hope.

In 2020, a special exhibition “30 years on the road. In the end, it was hope” was held to reflect on the history of the movement for the resolution of the Japanese military sexual slavery issue. The exhibition, which displayed the documents and the photographic records produced in the process of the movement, provided an opportunity for us to re-examine the direction of the resolution of the unfinished Japanese military sexual slavery problem.

Academic Research

Academic Symposium: Those who were taken away, those who could not return, and the war that is still unfinished

The academic symposium “Those who were taken away, those who could not return, and the war that is still unfinished” was held via zoom to increase understanding of the Japanese military sexual slavery issue in Okinawa, Japan.

30 years of movement for the resolution of the Japanese military sexual slavery issue, an oral interview with the activists of the Korean Council. When forgotten memories meet new history.

In celebration of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean Council, an oral interview was conducted with 20 activists of the Korean Council who have been actively involved in the past 30 years. Through this work, an interview trailer video and videos on five topics (Halmoni and I, Wednesday Demonstration, the history of the resolution for the Japanese military sexual slavery issue in the eyes of the activists I & II, evaluation of the movement up to the present) were produced and posted on the Korean Council YouTube channel. This work will continue in 2021.

Archive

The opening of the digital archive of the Wednesday Demonstration

The digital archive of the Wednesday Demonstration, which provides a record of the weekly protest, was created as part of the Korean Council’s 30th anniversary commemorative project.

It contains the social issues that have been raised by time and the process of change in civic consciousness that was created in the streets.

This archive is particularly special in that the field activists not only recognized the value of the records themselves but also kept the records open as community assets.

Education

Hello, stranger!: As part of the 2020 Museum and Art Gallery Week Diversity and Inclusion Promotion Program, the museum and Haja Center together held a in conjunction with the “Hello, Stranger!” exhibition. The authors of picture books that tell the story of historical pain and the human rights of the socially underprivileged (Kwon Yoon-deok, Koh Jeong-soon, Ha Soo-jeong) read their own picture books and talked about the process of how the books were made, giving us an opportunity to recognize and think about everyday violence.

42 30th Anniversary of the Korean Council

The year 2020 was the 30th anniversary of the movement for the resolution of the Japanese military sexual slavery. Through homecoming day, symposium, and special exhibition, we reflected on the process of our domestic and international solidarity for the past 30 years and expressed our gratitude to those who have been in solidarity with us for the last 30 years.

“All the days were bright because of you”

Activists’ homecoming day: 30 activists/former activists of the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan gathered at the War and Women’s Human Rights Museum and shared memories with one another through a talk concert and by watching a video on the history of our movement.

“30 years of solidarity, The Korean Council will become our peace and hope”

30th Anniversary Symposium and Commemoration were held online. Together, we discussed about the past, present, and future of the movement for the resolution of the Japanese Military Sexual Slavery issue and showed our appreciation to domestic/international activists and solidarity groups.

Survey

A survey was conducted to get the citizens to evaluate the 30-year movement for the resolution of the Japanese military sexual slavery issue and to re-establish the direction for the future

Question 1: What was the most memorable part of the Korean Council’s activities?

For the most memorable part of the activities, the ‘Wednesday Demonstration’ ranked 1st and ‘the establishment of the Statue of Peace” ranked 2nd.  ‘Response to international organizations such as the United Nations’ placed 3rd among citizens in their 40s-60s and ‘the establishment of the War and Women’s Human Rights Museum (education for the future generations) placed 3rd among those in their 10s-20s.

• Wednesday Demonstration
• The establishment of the Statue of Peace
• Response to international organizations such as the United Nations and domestic and international solidarity
• The establishment of the War and Women’s Human Rights Museum (education for the future generations)
• Victim support and honor restoration
• Fact-finding investigation and legal action
• The Butterfly Fund (support for victims of wartime sexual violence)
• Others

Question 2: As The Korean Council reach their 30th anniversary, what kind of activities should they be more active in the future?

Except the citizens in their 30s, citizens of all ages chose ‘urge Korean and Japanese government to take responsibility and respond to international organizations’ as the activity that The Korean Council should work on most actively in the future. The citizens in their 30s selected ‘education for the future generations’ as the first priority. In addition, although ‘victim support and remembrance activities’ ranked 4th (12.9%) among those in their 10s-20s, it ranked 7th (1-6%), the lowest rank, among others.

• Urge Korean and Japanese government to take responsibility and respond to international organizations
• Education for the future generations
• Data collection and research projects related to the Japanese military sexual slavery
• International hub for women’s, human rights, and peace movements
• Citizen communication and participation through Wednesday Demonstrations
• Support and solidarity activities for victims of conflict-related sexual violence
• Victim support and remembrance activities
• Others

Question 3: What should our society do to resolve the Japanese military sexual slavery issue?

“Textbook record and history education reinforcement” ranked 1st among citizens of all ages except those in their 30s chose as while citizens in their 30s chose “Preparation of laws to respond and punish historical revisionism/denialists and conservative media” as their 1st. As members of the society, we have a responsibility to know and spread the historical truth. The Korean Council will also work hard for this.

• Textbook record and history education reinforcement
• Preparation of laws to respond and punish historical revisionism/denialists and conservative media
• Systematization of national investigation, data collection, and research projects
• Holding the Japanese government accountable
• Establishment of a peace system on the Korean Peninsula through inter-Korean solidarity
• Improving sensitivity towards women’s human rights and peace
• Support and sponsorship of related civil society organizations
• Others

The Future of The Korean Council

Reflection and Vision Committee

After May, the Korean Council formed the to gather the hearts of citizens in solidarity with the victim-survivors and to rise again and move forward. The committee was composed of 14 members, including experts from various fields such as scholars, lawyers, and accountants, as well as representatives of women/human rights/civic groups. Through several meetings, we reflected on the organization and business of the Korean Council and presented the following new visions and tasks for its improvement and innovation.

• Improvement and innovation of the Korean Council’s accounting management system
• Improvement and innovation of the Korean Council’s organization, function, and business
• Preparation of a future-oriented vision and reform plan for the resolution of the Japanese military sexual slavery issue.
• A strong organization centered on regular members and communication with citizens.

Public hearing: To come up with improvement measures, a public hearing was held to listen to the opinions of citizens and organizations across the country. From August to November, we visited Citizens’ Coalition for Democratic Media, Human Rights Foundation ‘Saram,’ Environment Foundation, and Professor Kim Ik-han to discuss our current situation and future plans. In addition, a public hearing was held with those who attended Homecoming Day and related organizations such as the Masan, Changwon, and Jinhae Civil Assembly for Japanese Military Sexual Slaves, women’s groups, Gyeonggi Peace Statue Coalition, Suncheon Peace Butterfly. By sharing its stories and holding a Q&A session with activists from various regions, The Korean Council discussed its future and its role in greater depth.