Statue of Peace

A sculpture of a seated girl commemorating victims of wartime sexual slavery by the Japanese military and calling for remembrance and justice.

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Comfort women: A term for women and girls subjected to sexual slavery by the Japanese military before and during World War II. The statue commemorates these survivors and the broader history their testimony made public.
Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance: A South Korean organization campaigning for justice and remembrance for victims of Japanese military sexual slavery. The organization commissioned the first Statue of Peace in Seoul.
Barefootness: The state of having no shoes on the feet. The girl’s bare feet evoke vulnerability and the survivors’ difficult return to ordinary life.
Statue of Peace in Seoul: The original Statue of Peace installed in Seoul in 2011. Its placement across from the Japanese embassy made it a focal point of weekly protest.
2015 Japan–South Korea agreement: A bilateral agreement addressing the issue of victims of Japanese military sexual slavery. The agreement’s claim of a final resolution contrasted with activists’ continuing demands for survivor-centered justice.
Memory politics: The public use and contestation of historical memory in politics and collective life. Disputes over the statue concern which wartime histories receive public recognition.
Wednesday demonstrations: Weekly demonstrations in Seoul advocating justice for victims of Japanese military sexual slavery. The first statue was installed beside the site of these demonstrations.
Empty chair: An unoccupied chair used to signify absence or invite symbolic participation. The chair beside the girl represents survivors who died before receiving acknowledgment.
Statue of Peace in Glendale: A replica of the Statue of Peace installed in Glendale, California, in 2013. Its installation brought the memorial into a United States public space and prompted diplomatic objections.
Yasukuni Shrine: A Shinto shrine in Tokyo honoring Japan’s war dead, including convicted war criminals. The shrine’s contested commemoration of wartime figures contrasts with the statue’s focus on victims.