As the world observes the 13th International Comfort Women Memorial Day on August 14, aging survivors and advocates confront a race against time to preserve the memory of Japan's wartime sexual slavery system. This year's commemoration coincides with the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, amplifying calls for historical accountability.
First established in 2012 by civil groups across Asia, the memorial day honors hundreds of thousands of women – predominantly from China, the Korean Peninsula, and Southeast Asia – forced into sexual servitude by Imperial Japanese forces during WWII. With only seven registered survivors remaining in South Korea and seven on the Chinese mainland, activists warn their fading voices heighten the urgency for justice.
In Seoul, protesters braved rain to gather outside Japan's embassy on August 13, continuing a decades-long weekly demonstration. "When we speak out, people gather like this in great numbers," said protester Choi Ye-ji, emphasizing the need to prevent historical erasure. Lee Yong-soo, a 97-year-old survivor, tearfully thanked supporters: "Seeing all of you here brings me to tears."
Shin Hei-soo of the Korea Center for United Nations Human Rights Policy stressed education as key to preservation: "If we have [the] will to teach the next generation, it will survive." Museums and civic groups increasingly focus on documenting testimonies, with Shanghai Normal University researchers estimating 400,000 victims across Asia – half from China.
While Tokyo has acknowledged historical responsibility through a 2015 agreement, survivors and advocates continue demanding formal government apologies and legal reparations. As floral tributes accumulate at memorials from Hunan to Seoul, the message remains clear: the fight for recognition outlives those who endured it.
