SEOUL — Lee Yong-soo, a 96-year-old South Korean survivor of Japan’s wartime military sexual slavery, called on her government Wednesday to take a more active role in securing compensation from Japan. Her plea came during an event commemorating the memorial day for Korean women who were forced into sexual enslavement by the Japanese military during World War II.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee emphasized the urgency of the matter, especially following a favorable ruling from the Seoul High Court last year. This court overturned a lower court's decision and ordered Japan to pay the damages sought by Lee and 15 other victims. "It has been eight months since we won the second compensation suit against the Japanese government. ... It's time for the South Korean government to proactively step in to secure compensation," Lee stated.
The August 14 memorial day, established in 2017, honors Kim Hak-sun, who in 1991 became the first of the victims to publicly testify about her ordeal. Lee’s call for government intervention highlights the slow progress in compensation payments, exacerbated by Japan's lack of response to the court’s ruling, which became final after Japan did not appeal.
With only nine of the original plaintiffs still alive, Lee stressed the importance of resolving the compensation issue promptly. She interprets Japan’s decision not to appeal the ruling as a form of silent apology, to which she has chosen to respond similarly in silence. Lee now urges the South Korean government to engage in discussions with Japan to implement the compensation payment effectively, advocating for a proactive stance in these diplomatic negotiations.