Citizens and Youth Raise a United Voice Against 'Comfort Women' Historical Distortion and Hate

"Jeonnam Gwangju Declaration" to be Announced at Memorial Day Ceremony on the 13th
Lecture on Palestine and Testimony from 5/18 Sexual Violence Survivors Group Also Scheduled

Citizens and youth are coming together to carry on the courageous testimonies of Japanese Military 'Comfort Women' victims through action for peace and solidarity. They will also issue a joint declaration vowing to stand against historical distortion, victim-blaming, and secondary victimization.

Jeonnam Gwangju Metropolitan City will hold the Japanese Military 'Comfort Women' Victims Memorial Day ceremony at 5 p.m. on the 9th floor multipurpose hall of Jeonil Building 245 on the 13th. The theme is "From Courageous Testimonies to Steps Toward Peace and Solidarity."

Commemorative Day Ceremony Web Poster for the Victims of the Japanese Military 'Comfort Women'. Provided by Jeonnam Gwangju Integrated Special City

At the ceremony, Muntaha Abed, a researcher at the Kyujanggak Institute for Korean Studies at Seoul National University, will deliver a keynote address titled "Stories of Palestine We Didn't Know." Sand art and a memorial play prepared by the Gwangju Artists' Federation will also be performed on stage.

The "Jeonnam Gwangju Declaration," created jointly by citizens and youth, will also be announced. One citizen, together with the chairs of the Gwangju Student Council and Gwangju Youth Council, will recite the declaration containing the core message: "Memory becomes solidarity, and solidarity makes peace."

Through this declaration, they pledge to record the testimonies of the Japanese Military 'Comfort Women' victims and survivors as history and pass them on to the next generation. They also express their commitment to combat historical distortion, victim-blaming, and secondary harm, to oppose sexual violence in wartime and state violence, and to stand in solidarity with global citizens.

Before the ceremony, at 3 p.m., a discussion session titled "Women Breaking the Silence" will be held in the medium-sized meeting room of Jeonil Building 245. Researcher Muntaha will give a lecture, and the "Yeolmae" group of 5·18 sexual violence survivors will speak as well. The session will examine women's rights and issues of sexual violence in wartime, focusing on the testimony of the late Kim Hak-soon, a Japanese Military 'Comfort Woman' victim, and the struggles of Gwangju and Palestine.

From the 10th to the 14th, a "memory space" exhibition titled "The Memory Courier, Searching for Forgotten History" is being held at the Jeonil Building 245 Citizen Gallery. This space allows citizens to explore the Japanese Military 'Comfort Women' issue through exhibits, interactive activities, and participatory projects.

Events for citizens and youth to directly visit historical sites also continued. The dark tour "People Seeking Light," which began last month, saw youth and families visit sites such as the Hwajeong-dong Japanese War-Era Cave, the former 505 Security Unit, and the site of the former Imdong Textile Factory.

Youth who participated in the "Statue of Peace, Shining Project" cleaned and tended to the Statues of Peace located at Gwangju City Hall Civic Square and five district offices. The Gwangju Children's and Youth Council and local Youth Culture Centers also lent their support.

Min Hyungbae, Mayor of Jeonnam Gwangju Metropolitan City, commented, "This year's Memorial Day is especially meaningful in that citizens and youth actively visited historical sites, cleaned the statues, and turned 'memory' into action. I hope for much public interest and participation so that, by remembering the pain of the past, our city can move forward as a place of global peace and solidarity."

The Japanese Military 'Comfort Women' Victims Memorial Day is a legal commemorative day designated annually as August 14 under the relevant law.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.