'Don’t wait until we are all gone': Former sex slaves demand justice now

With only seven known survivors of Japan’s wartime sex slavery still alive in Korea, the urgency to resolve the issue is mounting. For 97-year-old Lee Young-soo, one of the most vocal advocates among the victims, which Japan euphemistically calls "comfort women," time is running out — but justice still feels out of reach. During World War II, the Japanese military forcibly conscripted tens of thousands of young women to serve as sex slaves for soldiers on the front lines. Many were deceived with false promises of employment or education, only to endure relentless sexual violence, physical abuse and deep, lasting psychological trauma. Even at nearly 100 years old, Lee vividly remembers the moment she was abducted when she was just 14 years old. That night, sleeping beside her mother, she noticed a soldier pressing down on a young girl’s neck outside of her house. The girl began signaling to her. "At first, I thought she was just trying to get my attention for fun," Lee recalled. But when she stepped outside, Lee was dragged away into the night by the soldier, not knowing where she wasWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times