Their Words

In 1991, Kim Hak-sun became the first Korean survivor to speak publicly about her experience, breaking 46 years of silence. Her testimony encouraged others to come forward. Survivor Lee Yong-soo testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Relations Committee in 2007. According to the Association for Asian Studies, her testimony contributed to the passage of U.S. House Resolution 121, urging Japan to accept full responsibility. Lee Yong-soo has said: "We were not comfort women. We were victims of a war crime. I am not fighting for money — I am fighting for a sincere apology." The Japanese government has never accepted legal responsibility.

Source: Association for Asian Studies — asianstudies.org · U.S. Congressional Record, House Resolution 121, 2007