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Gyeonggi gov't launches flower delivery to 'comfort women' statues around the world

Published: 22 May. 2025, 14:07 Updated: 22 May. 2025, 17:57

Gyeonggi officials and civic group members lay flowers at the Statue of Peace installed in Cologne, Germany, on May 19. [GYEONGGI PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT]

The Gyeonggi provincial government is launching an international flower delivery campaign to honor victims of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery, marking the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation and urging continued global remembrance of the atrocities committed by the Japanese military.

Gyeonggi officials announced on Thursday that the province will carry out a campaign through July to deliver flowers to Statues of Peace located abroad in collaboration with civic groups and Korean associations. The statue is a bronze monument of a girl representing the tens of thousands of young women forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military during the 1910-45 Japanese colonial rule over Korea. These wartime sexual slavery victims are euphemistically referred to as "comfort women."

As part of the campaign, provincial officials and civic groups visited the Statue of Peace in Cologne, Germany, on Monday and laid flowers there. On Wednesday, they delivered flowers to another statue located in Berlin.

A third flower delivery is scheduled for Saturday to a statue in Stintino, Italy. The statue in Berlin once faced removal due to Japanese government pressure but has now been granted permission to remain until September. The Stintino statue, built in June 2023, became the second such monument in Europe following the one in Germany, despite opposition from the Japanese government.

Gyeonggi also plans to deliver flowers to eight other statues and memorials in China, Canada, the United States, Japan and the Philippines. The overseas flower delivery campaign will conclude ahead of on Aug. 14, the day to commemorate the victims of Japanese military sexual slavery.

This initiative is one part of the 2025 project honoring victims of the Japanese military’s wartime sexual slavery. Last year, Gyeonggi officials visited all 139 statues across Korea to conduct the “Flower Delivery of Remembrance” campaign. That project, also organized by the province, had participants deliver flowers over two weeks starting from the second week of July.

“The event was designed to remember the victims of Japan’s military sexual slavery and vividly share their courage,” said Kim Jin-hyo, director of gender policy at the Gyeonggi provincial office. “We hope the flower tributes in Germany and Italy will become valuable moments to raise awareness about historical truth in the international community.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY CHOI MO-RAN [[email protected]]