Around 300 spectators watched the unveiling of a statue of a young woman on
Tuesday in a park in Glendale on the outskirts of Los Angeles commemorating
Asian women who were forced to serve as sex slaves for the Japanese Imperial
Army during World War II.
The 1 m tall statue is a replica of one that stands in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, and was erected atop a stone slab explaining the history of what the Japanese euphemistically refer to as "comfort women."
This is the first statue of its kind outside of Korea and the result of two years of efforts by Korean Americans in California.
Five percent of Glendale’s 200,000 people are ethnic Koreans. The central park is a busy part of the town next to the library and shopping mall. Last year, the city also dedicated July 30 to the memory of the victims.
On July 30, 2007, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution calling on the Japanese government apologize to the former sex slaves and teach children about them in Japanese schools.
Flanked by Glendale city officials, Kim Bok-dong, a former comfort woman, poses
with a statue honoring her fellow victims in a park in Glendale, Los Angeles on
Tuesday.
The Japanese government complained about Tuesday's event. Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga on Wednesday said the Japanese government asked the mayor of Glendale and city officials not to set up the statue, saying the matter should not be treated as a "political or diplomatic" issue.
The plan faced many obstacles. Around 100 Japanese residents of Glendale stormed into a public hearing and protested, and opponents launched an e-mail campaign urging city lawmakers to veto the statue. The Japanese Consulate in Los Angeles published an op-ed piece in a newspaper stating its opposition to the statue.
Laura Friedman of the Glendale City Council said the city was "pressured" not to set up the statue and received "hundreds of protest e-mails." "But the truth cannot be suppressed nor can it remain hidden."
Some Japanese Americans stepped up to condemn the atrocities committed by imperial Japan during World War II. Kathy Masaoka, head of Japanese-American activist group Nikkei for Civil Rights and Redress, said Japan has not apologized for the crimes it committed during World War II, including the mobilization of sex slaves and added Japanese history education is "wrong."
U.S., Chinese and Japanese media covered the event. Japanese reports accused the Korean American Forum of California, which spearheaded the construction of the statue, of "triggering conflict" between Korea and Japan.
But Youn Suk-won of the forum said the statue "is the result of grass-roots efforts involving U.S. citizens and their donations." Frank Quintero, a former mayor of Glendale who played a key role in bringing the statue to the park said it honors the suffering of the victims and will allow people in the town to learn about history.
The 1 m tall statue is a replica of one that stands in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, and was erected atop a stone slab explaining the history of what the Japanese euphemistically refer to as "comfort women."
This is the first statue of its kind outside of Korea and the result of two years of efforts by Korean Americans in California.
Five percent of Glendale’s 200,000 people are ethnic Koreans. The central park is a busy part of the town next to the library and shopping mall. Last year, the city also dedicated July 30 to the memory of the victims.
On July 30, 2007, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution calling on the Japanese government apologize to the former sex slaves and teach children about them in Japanese schools.
Flanked by Glendale city officials, Kim Bok-dong, a former comfort woman, poses
with a statue honoring her fellow victims in a park in Glendale, Los Angeles on
Tuesday. The Japanese government complained about Tuesday's event. Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga on Wednesday said the Japanese government asked the mayor of Glendale and city officials not to set up the statue, saying the matter should not be treated as a "political or diplomatic" issue.
The plan faced many obstacles. Around 100 Japanese residents of Glendale stormed into a public hearing and protested, and opponents launched an e-mail campaign urging city lawmakers to veto the statue. The Japanese Consulate in Los Angeles published an op-ed piece in a newspaper stating its opposition to the statue.
Laura Friedman of the Glendale City Council said the city was "pressured" not to set up the statue and received "hundreds of protest e-mails." "But the truth cannot be suppressed nor can it remain hidden."
Some Japanese Americans stepped up to condemn the atrocities committed by imperial Japan during World War II. Kathy Masaoka, head of Japanese-American activist group Nikkei for Civil Rights and Redress, said Japan has not apologized for the crimes it committed during World War II, including the mobilization of sex slaves and added Japanese history education is "wrong."
U.S., Chinese and Japanese media covered the event. Japanese reports accused the Korean American Forum of California, which spearheaded the construction of the statue, of "triggering conflict" between Korea and Japan.
But Youn Suk-won of the forum said the statue "is the result of grass-roots efforts involving U.S. citizens and their donations." Frank Quintero, a former mayor of Glendale who played a key role in bringing the statue to the park said it honors the suffering of the victims and will allow people in the town to learn about history.
On the otherhand , a street in New York will be named for women who were forced to serve as sex
slaves for Japanese troops during World War II, and a third monument in the U.S.
will be put up there to remember them.
The Korean American Association of Greater New York said on Monday that its representatives met City Councilman Peter Koo, a staunch advocate of the women who are euphemistically referred to as "comfort women" by Japan, to confirm progress and discuss the schedule for the project.
The two sides have been discussing the project since June last year. It is planned for the borough of Queens, which is home to a large population of Korean Americans.
This capture from Google Maps shows 156th Street at the intersection with
Roosevelt Avenue and Northern Boulevard in New York.
The candidate area is 156th Street, which has a high concentration of Korean American residents, and the naming will take place as early as May, Koo said. The city is seeking to build the monument next to an existing one for veterans, he added.
There are already two monuments built in the U.S. to remember the former sex slaves -- one in Palisades Park, New Jersey erected in October 2011, and one in Nassau County just next to New York City built in June 2012.
The association said the proposed location of the third monument is in a highly populated area and easily accessible to the public.
Han Chang-yeon, the president of the association, said the issue has far-reaching significance, including international human rights, women's rights and the protection of the weak.
The Korean American Association of Greater New York said on Monday that its representatives met City Councilman Peter Koo, a staunch advocate of the women who are euphemistically referred to as "comfort women" by Japan, to confirm progress and discuss the schedule for the project.
The two sides have been discussing the project since June last year. It is planned for the borough of Queens, which is home to a large population of Korean Americans.
This capture from Google Maps shows 156th Street at the intersection with
Roosevelt Avenue and Northern Boulevard in New York. The candidate area is 156th Street, which has a high concentration of Korean American residents, and the naming will take place as early as May, Koo said. The city is seeking to build the monument next to an existing one for veterans, he added.
There are already two monuments built in the U.S. to remember the former sex slaves -- one in Palisades Park, New Jersey erected in October 2011, and one in Nassau County just next to New York City built in June 2012.
The association said the proposed location of the third monument is in a highly populated area and easily accessible to the public.
Han Chang-yeon, the president of the association, said the issue has far-reaching significance, including international human rights, women's rights and the protection of the weak.
As the New York State Senate unanimously adopted a resolution condemning Japan's
wartime mobilization of Asian sex slaves for the Imperial Army.
Senator Tony Avella, who proposed the motion 13 days ago, said he received many "nasty" emails from Japan and added that what upset him most was the allegation that Japan's well-documented abuses in World War II were lies. But he added these attempts by Japanese people backfired.
Since the motion was submitted, Japanese ultra-rightists have instigated collective protests. A message on a website named "Japanese Women for Justice and Peace" claims the so-called "comfort women" were "voluntary prostitutes." The site lists the email addresses and twitter accounts of all New York state senators.
In 2007, the U.S. Congress also adopted a resolution acknowledging Japan’s sexual enslavement of Asian women. The New York State Senate was the second state legislature to adopt such a resolution after the California State Assembly in 1999.
Senator Tony Avella, who proposed the motion 13 days ago, said he received many "nasty" emails from Japan and added that what upset him most was the allegation that Japan's well-documented abuses in World War II were lies. But he added these attempts by Japanese people backfired.
Since the motion was submitted, Japanese ultra-rightists have instigated collective protests. A message on a website named "Japanese Women for Justice and Peace" claims the so-called "comfort women" were "voluntary prostitutes." The site lists the email addresses and twitter accounts of all New York state senators.
In 2007, the U.S. Congress also adopted a resolution acknowledging Japan’s sexual enslavement of Asian women. The New York State Senate was the second state legislature to adopt such a resolution after the California State Assembly in 1999.
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