Citizen Group: "Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Consultation with Japanese Forced Labor Victims Merely Formal"

Victims of forced labor under Japanese colonial rule and civic groups expressed doubts about whether the Ministry of Foreign Affairs truly gathered victims' opinions and urged that the issue be resolved in a manner that prioritizes the victims.

On the 7th at 2 PM, a 'Press Conference for Victims of Forced Mobilization during Japanese Occupation' was held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Hwang Seoyul chestnut@

At the "Press Conference for Victims of Forced Labor under Japanese Colonial Rule" held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul, at 2 p.m. on the 7th, Kim Young-hwan, Director of External Cooperation at the Institute for Korean Historical Issues, questioned whether the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' interviews with victims conducted on the 28th of last month genuinely reflected the victims' opinions.

Director Kim stated, "While it is true that all victims want a swift resolution, it should not be resolved in this manner," adding, "Grandfather Lee Chun-sik, a victim, said, 'Bring back a result that can be fair and just to the other victims who have already passed away first.'" He continued, "This shows how formalistic the interviews were," and criticized, "When we say gathering opinions, it means listening and then changing the content accordingly, but none of that happened."

Regarding the government's 'third-party compensation' method for victim reparations, Director Kim criticized it as "forcing victims and their families to choose," and insisted, "Since the grandmothers are facing forced execution, the Supreme Court must quickly reach a conclusion."

During the conference, testimonies about the forced labor experiences of the victim grandmothers were also shared. Grandmother Kim Seong-joo recounted injuring her finger while working during forced labor, a Japanese employee playing with the fallen flesh, being unable to return to Korea despite news of her younger brother's death, and still suffering from a leg injury caused by a Japanese earthquake. She said, "Japan has not even apologized to us, and when they make us work in their country, they should pay wages, but we did not receive even a single won," adding, "They made us suffer like this, and thinking about it brings tears to my eyes."

Grandmother Yang Geum-deok revealed that after being forcibly taken to Japan, she heard hurtful remarks in her homeland such as "How many men did you deal with?" in response to a Japanese principal telling her, "You are smart, so go study at middle school and come back." She said, "I was dragged away and worked extremely hard, but the adults said such things, which hurt my heart."

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