The 1
“I don’t think of it as anything special just because today is the 1,400th time. I just came here today the same as I do every week. All I wish for is to receive an apology and resolve this as soon as possible,” said Gil Won-ok, 91, one of less than 20 remaining survivors of Japanese sex slavery known as the comfort women. Although her memory has become weak to the point that she has trouble remembering the late Kim Bok-dong, who was her best friend, Gil sat firmly in the blue chair prepared for her next to the stage even as the daytime temperature soared to 36 degrees Celsius.
400th Wednesday demonstration to protest Japan’s sexual enslavement during the colonial occupation takes place in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul on Aug. 14. (Baek So-ha
At 12pm on Aug. 14, the 1,400th iteration of the “Regular Wednesday demonstration for a resolution to the issue of Japanese sex slavery” was held in front of the former Japanese embassy to Korea in Seoul’s Jongno District. This was also “International Memorial Day for Comfort Women,” an occasion to commemorate the day 28 years ago when the late Kim Hak-sun first gave testimony on the harm she suffered as a comfort woman. Approximately 20,000 people (organizer estimate) took part in the event alongside Gil.What the Wednesday demonstration means to youWhen the Hankyoreh asked her to fill in the blank in the sentence “To me, the Wednesday demonstration means ______ ,” Gil, who had been speaking in a composed voice, closed her mouth and stared at the empty space, unable to find any words. However, the blank space left empty by her silence was filled with messages from the public.
