The Korea Herald

지나쌤

Former comfort woman dies, leaving 18 survivors

By Kim So-hyun

Published : March 3, 2020 - 11:10

    • Link copied

(Yonhap) (Yonhap)

A South Korean woman forced into sexual slavery for Japanese troops during World War II died on Monday, leaving 18 surviving victims.

The victim surnamed Lee passed away at the age of 92 at her home in Daegu, the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan said Tuesday.

Born in 1928 in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, Lee was taken to China and forced into sexual slavery for Japanese troops at the age of 17.

She lived in China after Korea’s liberation from Japan’s colonial rule in 1945, and returned home in the 2000s after recovering her nationality.

Lee’s funeral will be held in private, according to the wishes of the deceased and the bereaved family.

Her death brought down the number of surviving victims of sexual slavery by Japanese military registered with the Korean government to 18.

A victim died earlier in January in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province.

By Kim So-hyun (sophie@heraldcorp.com)