Kassel: A girl statue symbolizing victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery will be installed at a church in Germany next week, two years after it was removed from the nearby University of Kassel, where it was first erected, a civic organization said Saturday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the statue will be installed at the church of Neue Bruderkirche on International Women's Day, which falls on March 8 every year, as announced by Korea Verband. An official at the organization expressed gratitude to local women's rights groups for securing approval from the church, although the duration of the installation remains undecided.
The statue's initial installation at the University of Kassel took place in July 2022 during the contemporary art exhibition Documenta, an event hosted every five years in the city. Although the university's student council had resolved to permanently install the statue, it was removed by the authorities in March the following year.
The Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan alleged that the Japanese consul general in Frankfurt had influenced the university's decision by suggesting that the statue could provoke anti-Japanese sentiment and disturb local peace.
In addition to the installation at Neue Bruderkirche, another girl statue is set to be placed in front of the NS-Documentation Center in Cologne until June 1. This installation is part of an exhibition highlighting crimes against women during World War II. Initially opposed by city authorities, the move was eventually approved following criticism from the local community and politicians.