KIM Byung-heon (Director of the Korean History Textbook Research Institute) Address to call for the Removal of the Comfort Woman Statue of Falsification (in front of the Gangbuk District Office on October 28)

KIM Byung-heon (Director of the Korean History Textbook Research Institute)
Address to call for the Removal of the Comfort Woman Statue of Falsification
(in front of the Gangbuk District Office on October 28)

Hello, everyone. I’m KIM Byung-heon, Director of the Korean History Textbook Research Institute.

Behind me, there is a comfort woman statue.

Is it only that people without much knowledge about what comfort women are saying are somehow pitiable? The comfort women issue is beyond this level.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan and those in the MOON Jae-in administration are among those who say that “comfort women are war crime victims who were forcibly taken by the Japanese army to be their sex slaves,” which is a lie.

Being a comfort women is basically an occupation. Their job was to offer sexual services in order to make money. Women cannot go to comfort stations to do this work without legal authorization. They are not simply taken away. In most cases, they were sold by their fathers and mothers, if not of their own free will. The reason is that, to be a comfort woman, or to work for a sexual service business operator, a contract is absolutely necessary. The contract requires written consent signed by a legal guardian. The legal guardian can be a parent or a family member.

In those days, foster fathers were accepted as legal guardians. Foster fathers in those days were typical human traffickers.

Why? Because they played parent such that they can legally take control of women. For this, an official copy of the family register was required. This was necessary because it was important to make sure who the legal guardian was and, even more importantly, age had to be verified. In those days, a woman had to be a least 17 years of age to be permitted to work as a prostitute. Those under 17 were not allowed to work in brothels at all. It was strict.

However, KIM Bok-dong, who was made the figurehead by the MOON Jae-in administration, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan and the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance, said that she was taken away at the age of 14 to become a comfort woman. This is a lie. LEE Yong-soo, as you may know well, “was 14 when she was taken away by the Japanese army at night while she was sleeping,” which is in a book written by YOON Mi-hyang. This is a lie. In her initial testimony, LEE Yong-soo says that she followed a friend called KIM Bon-soon to meet a certain person. When she was given a red dress and a pair of leather shoes in a bag, feeling attracted, before she knew it, she went with them.

She said that she was 14. LEE Yong-soo’s age keeps changing. She has mentioned being 14, 15 and 16 and she was 14 in her initial testimony. This is a lie. A 14-year-old girl could not have been a comfort woman. It was just not possible to work as one at the age of 15.

The next one was KIL Won-ok, who said she was taken away at the age of 13. However, she was not taken away. When she was 13, her father was jailed because he failed to dispose of stolen goods and she sold herself for 20 yen in order to save him. She was 13 at that time. Despite this, she is said to have been taken away to become a comfort woman. It was not possible to take a young child of 13 years old in order for her to become a comfort woman. None of KIL Won-ok’s testimonies said that she was taken away by the Japanese army. The Korean Council for the Women Drafted told this lie.

According to a related newspaper report of May 14 this year, there are comments that LEE Yong-soo’s remarks constantly change: “LEE Yong-soo lacks consistency” and “LEE Yong-soo may not have been a comfort woman.” To this, a newspaper reported that LEE complained, “I spoke as I was told by the Korean Council for the Women Drafted but they do not protect me when the rightists and Japan criticize me.” The poor old lady was used. By whom? The Korean Council for the Women Drafted. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and MOON Jae-in. This is the real situation in our country.

Then, there is a statement of a reason for working, namely as a prostitute. The statement must include why the person needed to do this particular job. A certificate of health must be submitted as well. When women worked in brothels, they had to undergo a medical examination every month and a test for STDs every week. LEE said that she “never underwent a medical examination” and “never saw a contraceptive.” This would be impossible if she worked as a Japanese military comfort woman. She lied.

The Republic of Korea is currently a haven of lies.

From the 1960s to 1970s, when women from rural areas were wandering around Seoul Station, someone always approached them to talk to them. They would ask, “Aren’t you hungry? Aren’t you cold?” “Yes.” “Why don’t you come with me? I can give you something to eat in a warm place.” So they followed the person and found themselves in a place that you can easily imagine. That is what happened to comfort women.

However, when comfort women were taken away, traders, or procurers, made contracts with their parents and family members and paid in advance. It is a loan from the employer. KIM Hak-soon testified first on August 14, 1991 that she had been a comfort woman. In fact, she was also bought by her foster father for 40 yen. Her mother sold her for 40 yen. KIM Hak-soon’s foster father gave her kisaeng training at an academy and attempted to do business within the country but could not because she fell short of the legal age. Accordingly, in order to take her to China, he asked KIM’s mother if he could “take her to China,” to which she consented. At the time of departure, KIM testified, her mother went to Pyongyang Station to sell her, carrying a yellow sweater.

Now, none of these women, KIM Hak-soon, LEE Yong-soo, KIL Won-ok or KIM Bok-dong, said in their testimonies that they were taken away by the Japanese army. YOON Mi-hyang of the Korean Council for the Women Drafted, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and Moon Jae-in are all lying.

All of you must know the truth.

The reason why we are making a statement here is that these lies fill the entire ROK, causing conflict and division between Korean people. The lie forces Japan to break their relationship with South Korea.

We must know correct history.
By knowing correct history, the people’s thinking will be one.

In that sense,
“the comfort woman statue symbolizing hatred and conflict”,
“this comfort woman statue symbolizing lies and fabrication”
must definitely be removed.

Thank you for your attention.