Man slammed for placing sushi, Japanese beer on 'comfort woman' statue in Busan

The Peace Monument, symbolizing the women forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military during World War II, stands in front of the Japanese Consulate in Busan. [SONG BONG-GEUN]

A man has earned public opprobrium for placing sushi and Japanese beer on a statue in front of the Japanese consulate in Busan that memorializes the victims of sexual slavery by the imperial Japanese military during World War II.

The statue, also known as the Peace Monument, depicts a young girl wearing traditional Korean attire sitting on a chair. The statue represents the "comfort women," the tens of thousands of young women and girls who were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military during the Japanese colonial rule from 1910 to 1945.

An empty chair — in which anyone can sit — is next to the girl to commemorate the victims who have passed away.

The Busan Dongbu Police Precinct said Monday that a man in his 30s placed a sushi box on the empty chair next to the statue and a can of Japanese beer on top of the girl’s head at around 1 p.m. last Saturday.

The man was reportedly enjoying sushi and beer in the empty chair as well.

A police officer at the site told the man to cease his behavior.

The man is reportedly the same person who, on April 6, covered the Peace Monument and a statue of a wartime forced labor victim with a black plastic bag with the word “demolish” written on it, according to the police.

A pro-Japanese civic group to which the man allegedly belongs told police it would hold rallies in front of the Peace Monument from April 3 to Tuesday.

On April 3, some 10 individuals from the pro-Japanese civic group held a press conference claiming that the Peace Monument should be removed.

Police said they are reviewing if a legal basis exists to punish the man for his actions.

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]