Lee Hyori raises awareness about ‘comfort women’
Singer Lee Hyori has used her Twitter account to raise awareness about so-called former “comfort women.”The 32-year-old singer posted this note on her Twitter page on Dec. 14: “Wednesday marks the 1,000th demonstration of the comfort women,” in reference to the weekly protests organized by the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan for the past 20 years.
The term “comfort women” is a euphemism for the women who were forced to serve as sex slaves for the Japanese military during World War II. The women and their allies have been demanding a formal apology from the Japanese government since 1992. No official apology has been given so far.
On Twitter, Lee said there was a poem that reminded her of the plight of these women. The poem “To be Born Again as a Flower” includes lines such as, “I missed it all/ Night sky of home, the smell of green grass, the embrace of my grandmother and the warmth of your body.”
Lee said of the poem, “I think the poem really captures the experience of the comfort women.”
Lee is known for her political and social activism through her Twitter page as well as her volunteer efforts. She is an animal rights advocate and on Dec. 15, a 2012 calendar featuring the star and her beloved pooch Shimsoon will go on sale. All proceeds from the calendar sales will go towards animal shelters. On the environmental front, Lee has been ranked 33rd on the list of “People Who Brightened up 2011” created by the environmental group Korea Green Foundation.
By Carla Sunwoo
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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