I was really moved by this simple protest across from the Japenese Embassy. It represents the suffering of Korean women who endured the captivity of sexual slavery during WW2. Most of these were under the age of 18. Someone left a small pair of shoes. Thinking about who left them and what that meant brought tears to my eyes. There are students camped out in the rain to protect the statue from being removed by the government since it is quite controversial and disliked by the Japanese officials in Seoul
The statue was great to see in person. It was nice to see all the flowers and the shoe left for her. I was moved by how the college students were keeping watch of the statue. It really showed how deeply important this is and how japan needs to take steps to repair bonds between the cultures.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. I think its a really nice and sweet symbol for a terrible part of history.
DeleteAfter giving a presentation on the comfort women in class I was really looking forward to seeing this statue and the weekly protest in person. While we didn't get to see the normal protest because of the rain, the students camped out beside it made the statue even more powerful that it would have been on it's own. Sometimes looking at memorials like this can feel detatched, like they're way in the past and aren't relevant anymore. Seeing university students actively guarding the statue was a stark reminder that this is still a controversial topic today that shouldn't be forgotten. I for one hope the government decides against removing this monument. If they do decide to take it down, I feel very lucky to have seen it.
ReplyDeleteThe comfort women statue was very moving. I specifically enjoyed seeing all of the butterflies with messages behind the statue itself.
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