To coincide with the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in Busan, South Korea, the Korean Women's Forum, the Carter Center for Human Rights, and the Institute for the Korean Women's Independence Movement jointly organized an academic symposium titled "The Comfort Women Issue and Historical Understanding" at the Busan City Council Meeting Room on July 23. Based on historical documents concerning forced conscription and sexual slavery, the event focused on the transmission of historical facts and the preservation of memory, while calling upon the international community to confront this history head-on.

(Event Information)

In its opening address, the organizers emphasized that the symposium aims to establish a cross-generational exchange platform, enabling individuals who personally experienced the war and colonial eras to engage together with contemporary generations living in peace, thereby helping all sectors of society recognize that the issue of comfort women is not confined to the past, but rather represents a matter of human rights and historical understanding that continues to this day. It is imperative to preserve and inherit relevant records and memories at the international level—such as by nominating these sites for inclusion on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register—to once again affirm to the international community the historical facts regarding the suffering of the comfort women victims. The organizers further stated that Taiwan's recent removal of bronze statues commemorating the comfort women victims constitutes an erroneous approach to erasing historical trauma and diminishing memory; such statues, memorial halls, and archival materials related to the comfort women—which serve as vital spaces for preserving the memories of the victims' suffering and history—must be respected.

In his speech, Mr.Jiang emphasized that humanity has a responsibility to remember its painful history. He specifically noted that UNESCO has designated the sites of these tragedies as World Heritage Sites and is safeguarding them, while highlighting the historical significance of this event: it marked the point at which the 'comfort women' issue became known to the world. Following the testimony of the late Mrs.Kim in 1991, Busan established a 'Comfort Women' reporting hotline, which ultimately contributed to the establishment of the Guanwu Trial.

In her keynote speech, Ms.Shen discussed the records, memories, and challenges surrounding comfort women. She stated that discussing this issue at a conference held in Busan is highly encouraging, emphasizing that this issue constitutes a human rights matter and transcends mere anti-Japanese sentiment. Ms.Shen noted that commemorating this issue is not intended to be bound by the past, but rather to ensure that future generations will not repeat these tragic experiences.

“Ms.Shen delivered a report on the theme of "Records, Memories, and Challenges Regarding the Japanese Comfort Women," stating: "The UNESCO World Heritage Committee held a meeting in Busan; this represents a highly welcome and encouraging step forward."

During the comprehensive discussion session moderated by Ms.Nam, she expressed hope that the seminar would enable a generation that has experienced war and colonialism, contemporary citizens, and future generations to collectively reflect on this issue from the perspectives of human rights and peace. She emphasized: "Records and memories related to the 'comfort women' are invaluable historical assets that the international community must jointly protect and preserve. Memorial sites—such as statues, memorial halls, and archives—are crucial venues that bear witness to the lives and history of the victims; we must strive to respect and carry forward these sites." Ms.Nam further noted that correctly remembering history is not the responsibility of any single country or generation, but rather a shared value for maintaining peace and human rights across East Asia.

(The image shows Ms.Nan presiding over the second part of the comprehensive discussion, where she engaged in discussions with experts on future-oriented peace and solidarity measures)

Participants repeatedly cited tragic sites such as Auschwitz—which have been inscribed on the World Heritage List—as examples, emphasizing the importance of preserving records and memorial sites related to historical trauma. The entire event underscored the necessity of integrating historical memories, archives, and memorial facilities concerning the "comfort women" issue into a broader international protection framework, in order to collectively preserve these historical assets that are vital to human rights and peace.

(Group photo taken with key attendees to commemorate the successful conclusion of the seminar on "The Comfort Women Issue and Historical Understanding," held on the 23rd in the conference room of the Busan City Council.)

Source:

https://www.wbcb.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=104457&utm_source=perplexity

https://m.thepowernews.co.kr/view.php?ud=2026072316433544961d72a7352_7#