Lee Ok-sun, a survivor of the Japanese military‘s wartime sexual slavery system known as “comfort women,” has died at the age of 97. Her death leaves only six registered survivors of the officially recognized victims.
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Born in Busan in 1928, she was forcefully taken to a Japanese military brothel in China at 14. After the war, she stayed in China until returning to South Korea in 2000. From 2002, she spoke out internationally, demanding Japan’s apology and legal responsibility for wartime sexual violence.
Her funeral is set for May 14, the day of the 1,700th Wednesday Protest (weekly rallies for “comfort women” survivors), where activists and citizens will push to amend the Comfort Women Victim Protection Act amid rising far-right harassment and denialism aimed at erasing Japan’s wartime crimes.
Far-right attacks and denial of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery have intensified under the recently impeached President Yoon, who backed “new right” figures and policies seen as favoring historical revisionism, undermining reparations and denying Japan’s responsibility for wartime atrocities.
These denialist movements are globally connected, with far-right protesters heckling mourners, defacing memorials, and denying the existence of Japanese-run comfort stations. This is part of a long-organized international effort, as seen in the controversy over Harvard economist Ramseyer's article.
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