S. Korea's 'comfort women' statue to remain on display in Berlin

  • 3 years ago
베를린 소녀상…지역의회, 영구설치 논의 결의

Statues have been set up in many cities all over the world in remembrance of the Korean women and girls sexually enslaved by the Japanese military in World War Two.
One of those statues, in the German capital, Berlin,... was recently ordered to be removed... but now the authorities have reversed that decision.
Choi Won-jong has this report.
The so-called 'Comfort Women' statue in Berlin... will stay until at least next September and possibly longer.
The district council for the borough of Mitte, in central Berlin,... voted Tuesday 24 to 5... to keep the statue symbolizing the Korean women... who were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military during World War Two.
That vote reverses an order to remove the statue,... so it can remain in place until next August,... and it adds an extra six weeks... until the end of September.
It was a hard-won victory, however.
The 'Comfort Women' statue was installed this past September, but the permit for it was soon revoked... because of complaints from the Japanese government.
Then, in October, the district council ordered it removed.
But that prompted protests at the site of the statue... by hundreds of activists and Berlin residents.
They demanded that the statue not be removed... and filed a petition to suspend the council's order.
On Wednesday, a day after the vote, the Japanese government released a statement opposing the decision to let the statue stay... and demanding that it be removed as soon as possible.
Choi Won-jong, Arirang News.

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