Another comfort woman dies, 6 remain

[Anchor]

Grandmother Lee Ok-sun, a victim of the Japanese military's comfort women, has passed away at the age of 97.

She has been at the forefront of raising awareness about the comfort women issue worldwide and urging for an apology from Japan.

Now, the number of registered comfort women victims with the government has decreased to six.

Moon Ye-seul reports.

[Report]

At the age of fifteen, Grandmother Lee Ok-sun was taken to China and forced to become a 'comfort woman' for the Japanese military.

After returning to her homeland in 2000, after 57 years, she began to testify about her experiences as a comfort woman and called for an apology from Japan.

[Lee Ok-sun/Grandmother/2001: "What kind of power did they use to drag us away? Now they say they don't know about the comfort women. How can we endure this?"]

To the United States, Germany, and Japan.

She even studied English late in life and actively participated in overseas testimonies.

[Lee Ok-sun/Grandmother/2013/Germany: "I came all the way here even though I can't walk properly."]

When she led a lawsuit against the Japanese government for damages and won after eight years, she was there.

[Lee Ok-sun/Grandmother/2021: "I am saying that they should apologize properly... It's not about money."]

Although she missed her family left behind in China for her entire life, she never returned and continued her struggle in Korea.

[Lee Ok-sun's Grandson: "Coming out and sharing my grandmother's history and trying to let everyone know about it is something we are proud of."]

The number of surviving comfort women victims registered with the government is now six.

Their average age is over 95 years old.

Survivors of comfort women and those who remember their difficult testimonies continue to demand an official apology and legal compensation from the Japanese government.

[Lee Ok-sun/Grandmother/2015: "Every time a grandmother passes away, I think about how my heart feels. We must receive an apology..."]

This is KBS News, Moon Ye-seul.