Barricade around statue of girl symbolizing wartime sexual slavery victims lifted for 1st time in 6 yrs

▲ A person taking part in a weekly rally remembering victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery caresses a statue symbolizing the victims installed in central Seoul on April 1, 2026. (Yonhap)

▲ People taking part in a weekly rally remembering victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery pose for a photo around a statue symbolizing the victims installed in central Seoul on April 1, 2026. (Yonhap)

sexual slavery victims-statue

Barricade around statue of girl symbolizing wartime sexual slavery victims lifted for 1st time in 6 yrs

By Chae Yun-hwan

SEOUL, April 1 (Yonhap) -- Police on Wednesday temporarily removed a barricade surrounding an iconic statue of a girl representing the victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery for the first time in nearly six years.

People quietly cheered as the barricade was lifted for a weekly rally around the statue by activists dedicated to remembering the victims, marking its first removal since 2020.

The barricade around the "Statue of Peace" in central Seoul had been installed in June that year due to concerns of possible damage by right-wing groups who deny Japan's sexual enslavement of women during World War II.

The statue -- installed near the former site of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul -- has often led to clashes between supporters of the memorial and far-right groups.

The temporary removal came after a far-right group leader who had led rallies near the statue was recently detained on defamation charges, prompting discussions to lift the barricade.

Police plan to temporarily lift the barricade every Wednesday this month when the weekly rally takes place. It is also considering its permanent removal at the end of the month.

During the latest rally, activists held a memorial for a wartime sexual slavery victim who recently died.

Historians estimate that up to 200,000 women, mostly from Korea, were forced to work in front-line brothels for Japanese soldiers during World War II. Korea was a Japanese colony from 1910-45.

Of the remaining five survivors officially registered with the government, the oldest victim is aged 97, with the average age at 95.

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