2 umbrella unions, civic group call for preservation of girl statue in Berlin

Two major umbrella unions and a civic group on Wednesday called for the preservation of a girl statue erected in Berlin years ago to symbolize the victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery, saying it is the emblem of historical justice. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU), and the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery made the remark in a press conference in front of the German Embassy in Seoul, saying removing the statue in Germany would be "rejecting the history" of the country's war crimes. The statue, dubbed the Statue of Peace, was erected in Berlin's Mitte district in 2020 to internationally publicize the issue of wartime sexual slavery victims euphemistically called "comfort women." However, Germany decided to dismantle the statue on Sept. 28, a move that has gained momentum after Berlin's mayor told Japan's Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa in Tokyo in May that there should not be a "lopsided opin ion," and he will "resolve the issue" regarding the statue. "The statue symbolizes the numerous victims who had to live in pain and out of sight," said Lee Na-young, the head of the Korean Council. "This is why the Statue of Peace should be in Germany, a country where it has escaped from its imperialist past and strived to fulfill the common values of humanity." Rep. Kim Joon-hyeong of the minor Korea Innovation Party, who also attended the conference, also stressed that the Statue of Peace should be permanently preserved as it is the "emblem of solidarity for world peace and human rights." Following the press conference, Lee delivered a joint statement by local and German labor groups to the German Embassy in Seoul, calling for the preservation of the statue in Berlin. Source: Yonhap News Agency