The First Wednesday Demonstration Lost to Conservative Groups... Confrontation Over the Statue of a Girl Amid the Monsoon Rain

Free Solidarity-Justice Network Wednesday Protest Venue Switched
Justice Network "We Will Stay Here Even If We Are Wounded"
Both Sides' Gatherings End Without Major Clashes
University Student Group Occupies Around Statue of Girl

On the 24th, the 1445th regular Wednesday demonstration was held near the Statue of Peace in front of the former Japanese Embassy in Jongno-gu, Seoul. The Wednesday demonstrations, which had been held weekly in front of the former Japanese Embassy for 28 years, were relocated to in front of the Yonhap News building after conservative groups such as the Liberty Solidarity secured the assembly report until mid-July. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] The Wednesday demonstrations held by the Justice and Memory Solidarity (Jeonguiyeondae) in front of the Statue of Peace every Wednesday since 1992 were relocated for the first time in 28 years due to a conservative group's preemption of the rally site.

On the 24th, Jeonguiyeondae held the 1445th regular Wednesday rally from 12 PM in front of the Yonhap News Agency building in Susong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. This location is about 20 meters away from the usual site in front of the Statue of Peace. This is the first time since the Wednesday demonstrations began that Jeonguiyeondae has moved its location. The conservative group Jayuyondae, which preempted this site, also held a rally simultaneously about 5 meters away from the Statue of Peace. Despite heavy rain pouring from the morning as the summer monsoon season began in earnest, participants filled both rally sites.

In a progress report, Lee Na-young, director of Jeonguiyeondae, said, "We are silently watching the canyon of sorrow that cannot be approached, with the Statue of Peace, which has endured a history of patience and turmoil, in the center," and opened her remarks by calling it "a mercilessly sad day marked by anti-historical and anti-human rights acts that shake the dignity and honor of the victims."

Director Lee stated, "Still, we have stood here unwaveringly," and expressed her intention to continue the Wednesday demonstrations, saying, "Even if we are pushed out, deprived, our hearts torn, and our whole bodies wounded, we will remain here."

On the 24th, citizens participating in the "1445th Regular Wednesday Demonstration for the Resolution of the Japanese Military Sexual Slavery Issue" held near the former Japanese Embassy in Jongno-gu, Seoul, urged the Japanese government for an official apology. Meanwhile, police forces are guarding around the Statue of Peace due to a conservative group rally behind the protest site. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

The Jayuyondae group, which held a rally near the Statue of Peace, set up a truck stage during Jeonguiyeondae's rally and continuously criticized Jeonguiyeondae and its supporters. When reporters entered the Jayuyondae rally site, some attendees strongly protested and chased the press out of the rally area. Some Jayuyondae participants expressed dissatisfaction by shouting at the police or uttering harsh words toward Jeonguiyeondae while moving around the vicinity of Jeonguiyeondae's rally site.

From the morning, tensions flared between the two groups around the Statue of Peace, with loud voices erupting in various places. However, there were no major clashes as initially feared. After both rallies ended, participants from both groups returned home without any significant conflict. The police deployed 400 officers on site to prepare for any physical clashes between the two groups.

Meanwhile, the university student group BanAbeBanIl Youth Student Joint Action, which has been involved in protecting the Statue of Peace, staged a sit-in protest surrounding the statue from the afternoon of the previous day until this day. The police classified the joint action's sit-in as an unreported illegal rally and demanded voluntary dispersal, but the group tied their bodies together with ropes and blocked anyone approaching the statue throughout the Wednesday demonstration. Despite multiple police warnings that failure to disperse on site could lead to legal action, the joint action continues its sit-in protest with the Statue of Peace at the center.

University students affiliated with the Ban-Abe Ban-Il Youth Student Coalition staged a sit-in protest on the 24th in front of the former Japanese Embassy in Jongno-gu, Seoul, connecting their bodies to the Statue of Peace with ropes and banners. / Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

Originally, Jayuyondae planned to hold their rally right in front of the Statue of Peace where Jeonguiyeondae had held weekly demonstrations. However, concerns about potential damage to the statue led Jongno District Office to request police protection of the facility. The police then cleared the area near the statue, set up order maintenance lines, and arranged for rallies to be held on both sides of the statue. For the time being, the Wednesday demonstrations are expected to continue in this format.

Until now, no other group had preempted this location as a rally site, allowing Jeonguiyeondae to conduct the Wednesday demonstrations without issue. However, as controversies surrounding Jeonguiyeondae and Representative Yoon Mi-hyang, who organized the demonstrations, emerged, Jayuyondae began attempting to preempt this site. According to the police, Jayuyondae has secured the Statue of Peace site from this day until mid-July by waiting at the jurisdictional police station, Jongno Police Station, until midnight daily and submitting the rally application first. They plan to continue submitting daily rally applications and preempting the site until their demands, including Representative Yoon's resignation and the disbandment of Jeonguiyeondae, are met.

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