The Demand Rally in Crisis... The Comfort Women Movement at a Crossroads

Representative Comfort Women Activist Groups Jeonguiyeon and Nanumui Jip
Various Allegations Raised Over Fund Management Issues
Comfort Women Movement Lacked Actual 'Victims'
Major Issue Is the 'Citizen Trust Damage' That Supported the Movement

On the 13th, the Statue of Peace stood guard at the 1439th regular Wednesday demonstration for the resolution of the Japanese military sexual slavery issue, held on Peace Road in front of the former Japanese Embassy in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] The 30-year "Japanese Military Comfort Women Human Rights Movement (Comfort Women Movement)" has reached a crossroads. The Justice and Memory Foundation, which led this movement, has revealed various suspicions and issues regarding the management of donations and the establishment process of Anseong Shelter (House Where Peace and Healing Meet). The 'Nanum House,' which served as a resting place for the surviving grandmothers, has also been embroiled in allegations that donations were used for real estate purchases and cash holdings rather than for the grandmothers themselves. As the main entity that sparked and sustained the comfort women movement suffers severe social damage, there are growing concerns that the momentum of related activities such as the Wednesday Demonstrations will weaken in the future.

On the morning of the 20th, An Shin-kwon, director of Nanum House, spoke with a reporter, saying, "As a person responsible, I apologize to the public," and added, "I hope donors and volunteers at Nanum House do not misunderstand." He continued, "We will undergo an (external) audit of the donations. It has not been decided to use the donations for other projects as some staff claim. If desired, we will use them for memorial and tribute projects."

Regarding the reason why only about 64 million won out of the 2.5 billion won in donations accumulated last year was transferred to the facility, Director An explained, "There are currently six grandmothers at Nanum House, and one is hospitalized," adding, "Since the number of residents is small, operating costs were not high." He further stated, "Medical expenses are free for the grandmothers. They receive support projects from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. For any shortfall, Nanum House uses its donation funds."

The previous day, seven employees, including Kim Dae-wol, curator of Nanum House, made an internal whistleblowing statement, claiming, "Nanum House did not use large sums of donations for the grandmothers but held them as real estate and cash assets, forcing the grandmothers to pay for hospital treatment and purchase supplies out of their own pockets." Nanum House, along with the Justice and Memory Foundation, is a representative organization supporting comfort women victims. According to these employees, the 'Social Welfare Corporation Daehan Buddhist Jogye Order Nanum House,' which operates Nanum House, is known to hold real estate worth over 6 billion won and cash assets exceeding 7 billion won. In particular, based on board meeting recordings, the employees expressed concern that the accumulated donations (65 billion won as of the end of last year) are likely to be used for elderly care projects after the grandmothers' passing.

On the 19th, a bust of the late comfort women victims was erected at Nanum House in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, where an internal whistleblower revealed issues regarding the execution of sponsorship funds.

Going forward, comfort women movement organizations are expected to undergo thorough investigations and audits by administrative agencies. The Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office has launched an investigation into Yoon Mi-hyang, the elected member of the Democratic Party of Korea (former director of the Justice and Memory Foundation), and the foundation on charges including breach of trust and embezzlement. Meanwhile, Gyeonggi Province conducted a special guidance inspection of the Nanum House corporation from the 13th to the 15th and is currently analyzing the findings.

On the same day, the 1,440th Wednesday Demonstration was held in Gwancheol-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, but it has become difficult to expect the same level of public support as before. The intensity of demands for an apology from Japan is also inevitably expected to weaken. To sustain the 30-year-long movement for addressing wartime sexual violence and restoring human rights, it is pointed out that decisive action is needed from responsible parties such as former elected official Yoon, the Justice and Memory Foundation, and Nanum House.

This crisis in the comfort women movement ultimately appears to stem from a neglect of a 'victim-centered' approach during the movement's progress. Above all, the most critical issue is the disappointment of citizens. The students who have maintained the Wednesday Demonstrations and the citizens who have supported the comfort women movement by donating money and purchasing goods "for the grandmothers" have been the backbone of the movement. Yang Ki-ho, professor of Japanese Studies at Sungkonghoe University, said, "Even if the direction of a civic group's movement is correct, accounting problems or fraud cannot be justified," adding, "The comfort women movement must undergo a thorough reform to regain the trust of citizens."

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