Another Korean victim of Japan’s wartime sexual enslavement died on Friday morning, bringing the total number of the survivors to 59, according to the Seoul government.

The heath of the woman, whose name was withheld from the media, has been worsening since she suffered injuries to her waist after falling last year, people close to her said.

The total number of the victims registered with the government since 2003 is 234. Five of them including this latest woman have passed away so far this year. Last year, 16 died of old age.

President Lee Myung-bak has underscored the urgency of the comfort women issue as most of them have died. During his Aug. 15 Liberation Day address, he stressed that the issue is a broader human rights issue that goes beyond the bilateral relationship with Japan.

(sshluck@heraldcorp.com)