SEOUL, May 06 (AJP) - The barricades surrounding the Statue of Peace were dismantled by police on Wednesday after six years of isolation and confinement. The bronze monument, which symbolizes victims of Japanese wartime sexual slavery, is now publicly accessible and free from the immediate threat of vandalism.
The Statue of Peace depicts a teenage girl sitting on a chair, staring toward the former site of the Japanese embassy in central Seoul. Since its first installation in 2011, approximately 200 similar statues have been placed worldwide in cities such as Washington DC, Sydney, Toronto, and Shanghai.
The barriers had been in place since June 2020 to shield the site from aggressive pro-Japan activists and historical revisionists. During a celebratory event on Wednesday, supporters described the removal as the liberation of the statue.
The action coincided with the 1,751st weekly demonstration held near the former Japanese Embassy in central Seoul. Activists from the Justice Memory Solidarity prepared for the opening by cleaning the statue with wet wipes and placing a purple floral wreath on its head.
Han Kyung-hee, the chairperson of the Justice Memory Solidarity, told the crowd that the statue has finally returned to the arms of the citizens after five years and 11 months. She said that while the public had been unable to sit in the empty chair beside the girl for years, they never stopped fighting for its protection.
The barricades were originally requested by the activist group itself as a desperate measure to prevent the statue from being defaced by far-right protesters. Tensions at the site had escalated in 2019 as groups began demanding the removal of the monument while shouting historical denials.
The legal path for the removal opened after Kim Byeong-heon, the leader of a prominent revisionist group, was arrested in March. He faces charges of defaming the deceased victims by publicly denying the forced nature of their ordeal.
Investigations by South Korean prosecutors revealed that Kim's activities were supported by approximately 76 million won ($5,222) in funding from Japanese donors. The prosecution stated that this money was used as the primary engine for his long-term campaign to erase the history of the victims.
According to historical records from the National Institute of Korean History, the Imperial Japanese Army systematically forced an estimated 200,000 women into sexual slavery during the Pacific War. These victims, many of whom were young South Korean girls, were transported to frontline brothels across the Pacific front where they were subjected to repeated forced sexual violence.
The Statue of Peace incorporates specific details to reflect this history, including short, uneven hair that represents the girl being forcibly torn from her family. Her bare feet and lifted heels symbolize the restless spirits of victims who were unable to find peace or a sense of home after the war ended.
The monument is officially registered as the first public artwork of the Jongno District and is managed by the local government. Police officials confirmed they will continue to deploy personnel to the area to ensure the safety of the site following the removal of the physical barriers.
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