On July 30, the Glendale Central Library held an Art/Educational Exhibit in honor of the “Comfort Women.”
Representative Kim Bok-dong from Korea gave a moving speech about the troubles she was forced to endure while held captive as a “comfort woman” of the Japanese troops. These Comfort Women were captured by Japanese troops in World War II and were tortured and raped. The repercussions from the soldiers’ actions led to suicide and incurable psychological damage to the victims. Kim states how she “attempted suicide but failed” and how she even lost her eyesight from the terrible ordeal. Now, decades later, the remaining survivors advocate for the public apology from the Japanese Government, the persecution of the soldiers who committed the war crimes, and the monetary compensation that they so rightfully deserve.
In the present day, the surviving women have congregated to form a protesting group, the Halmonis (a word for ‘grandma’ in the Korean language), which protests in front of Japan’s capital every Wednesday. The Wednesday Protests have now received international acclaim and have gathered many supporters from around the globe. Kim sadly admits how she “has little time left” and must “spread her message” so history will not repeat itself.
Audiences sympathize with Kim, and Brandon Pang, a senior from Arcadia High School, said that “the struggles and incessant obstacles the women had to go through are horrendous and should not be forgotten. I will make an effort to spread the word and support the Grandmas!”
At the presentation, Kim stated how they were “raped, forced to have abortions, and were humiliated by the soldiers” for more than eight years. She recounted her experience by telling us how she was forced to be a blood donor, and when she lost too much blood during a surgery, was simply cast aside and denied of proper medical treatment.
Terri Kim also noted how “the things that the Halmonis had to go through are horrible. I hope they can find peace from what happened and be properly compensated for what happened.”
The audience at the Glendale Central Library was shocked and deeply moved by Kim’s speech, and through the Halmonis’ great effort, hopefully more people will be educated on the plight of the Comfort Women.
