Grandmother Lee Yong-soo: "Japan Still Hasn't Come to Its Senses... The Berlin Comfort Woman Statue Must Never Be Removed"

Grandmother Lee Yong-soo's National Assembly Press Conference: "The Statue of a Girl is an Important Historical Evidence"

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jin-young] Grandmother Lee Yong-soo (92), a victim of the Japanese military sexual slavery, held a press conference strongly opposing the removal of the ‘Statue of Peace’ installed in Berlin, Germany. On the afternoon of the 14th, she held a press conference in front of the fountain at the National Assembly main building and said, “The claim to remove the Statue of Peace, a symbol of resolving world history and human rights issues, can never be allowed.”

[Image source=Yonhap News]

She stated, “The Statue of Peace is an important historical evidence,” adding, “It represents the grief and sorrow of the victim grandmothers and is the heart of education for future generations.” She continued, “Germany, like Japan, is a defeated country of World War II, but unlike Japan, it is a country that reflects on its past history and takes the lead in correcting wrong histories,” and raised her voice, saying, “The Statue of Peace in Berlin, which can be called the capital of world conscience, must not be removed.”

She went on, “The Statue of Peace exists everywhere. It is not only for Korea but also for victims in the Netherlands and throughout Asia. Therefore, it must absolutely remain (in Berlin),” emphasizing, “Japan still has not come to its senses. If it continues to commit such evil acts without apologizing and compensating, it will be punished.”

After the press conference, Grandmother Lee visited the Embassy of Germany in Seoul, located in Jung-gu, together with Yang Gi-dae, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Lee Na-young, chairperson of the Justice and Memory Foundation. They met with Hana Becker, First Secretary, and delivered a petition urging the withdrawal of the removal order. It is known that the German side expressed sympathy for Grandmother Lee’s request to withdraw the removal of the statue during the meeting.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Representative Yang said, “The First Secretary said he fully sympathizes with Grandmother Lee’s words and will convey this sentiment sufficiently to the German Ambassador to Korea,” adding, “We also decided to deliver Grandmother Lee’s words and the letter to the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”

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