**Farewell to the Deceased Who Raised Awareness of ‘Comfort Women’ Tragedy for Over 20 Years… Eternal Rest in Manghyang Cemetery in Cheonan**
(Yongin=Yonhap News) Reporter Ryu Su-hyeon – The funeral of Lee Ok-sun, a victim of Japanese military sexual slavery who passed away on the 11th due to deteriorating health, was solemnly held on the 14th.
The funeral, conducted at the Shilnakwon Funeral Home in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, was attended by about 40 people, including family members, representatives from the House of Sharing, and Gyeonggi-do officials, who bid farewell on the deceased’s final journey.
In his eulogy, Se Young, a monk from the House of Sharing, said, “We will continue to achieve the world you wanted,” adding, “We will remember, cherish, and honor the brave woman Lee Ok-sun, who was endlessly warm and kind and stood courageously in the face of history and truth.”
Kim Dong-hee, director of the War & Women’s Human Rights Museum, remarked, “Even with her uncomfortable body, whenever there was a place that wished to hear her story, she greeted them with a bright smile and provided comfort, hope, and dreams to others,” adding, “She taught us the wisdom to face the world with a heart of reconciliation and dialogue rather than anger.”
He added, “We hope she finds peace now, and the tasks left behind are our responsibility,” affirming, “We will act powerfully so we can say ‘Well done.’ We love you.”
During the eulogies, attendees shed tears, paying tribute to the deceased. The funeral also included religious ceremonies by Bosen, a monk from Suwonsa, and members from Toechon Catholic Church, followed by offerings of flowers, recitations of memorial poems, and memorial music by the Udamhwa Choir from Bongeunsa Temple in Suwon.
The burial site is Manghyang Cemetery in Cheonan, Chungcheongnam-do.
Residing at the House of Sharing, Mrs. Lee, due to health issues, stayed at a nursing hospital in Seongnam from March last year until she passed away at the age of 97 at 8:05 pm on the 11th.
Born in Busan, she was taken to Yanji, China, at the age of 14, where she endured hardships for three years as a military sexual slave under the Japanese military.
After liberation, she stayed in China and returned to Korea in June 2000 after 58 years, regaining her nationality the following year with difficulty.
She experienced daily inconveniences due to aftereffects from her hardships as a military sexual slave and suffered from severe degenerative arthritis. However, she never hesitated to respond to requests for her testimony both domestically and internationally despite her limited mobility.
Starting with a lecture in the U.S. at Brown University in 2002, she tirelessly traveled yearly to places like Japan and Australia to inform the world of the horrors of Japanese military sexual slavery until her health severely declined over nearly 20 years.
In 2013, she completed a grueling itinerary, visiting 12 cities across the U.S., Germany, and Japan, covering a travel distance (approximately 50,000 km) exceeding one full circle of the Earth (40,120 km), which was an ‘human rights pilgrimage’ of notable significance.
In 2016, she visited the U.S. with the production team of the film ‘Spirits’ Homecoming’, which depicts the sorrowful lives of comfort women victims, holding testimonies and screenings to spread awareness of the tragedies.
In response to the claims invalidating the Reconciliation and Healing Foundation established in July 2016 following an agreement between the governments of Korea and Japan, Lee stated, “The agreement is wrong. It’s so disappointing to trust the government and then feel let down.”
With Lee’s passing, the number of registered surviving victims of Japanese military sexual slavery with the government has decreased to six.