김복동 할머니가 남긴 숙제, 우리가 완성해야
South Korea mourned earlier this year when one of the most best-loved former victims of Japan's wartime sex slavery died.
Kim Bok-dong became an iconic figure in South Korea and around the world for her furious campaigning for the victims.
Now her legacy will live on as a film about her life and her efforts to bring the victims justice will hit cinema screens next week.
Oh Soo-young has the details.
27 years of fighting for justice,... after being systematically raped by Japanese soldiers from the age of 14.
Kim Bok-dong passed away earlier this year at the age of 92 without the apology or redress she hoped to see from the Japanese government.
But her story doesn't end with her death her mission lives on.
"We can forgive them (the Japanese) if they say 'Sorry,' or 'Forgive us.' Then we would be able to forgive them."
A documentary about Kim's life captures the raw emotion in her voice,... the anguish as she recounts her past during her testimony in 1992.
She was one of the first so-called comfort women to speak out about the Japanese imperial army's wartime sexual enslavement of Korean girls.
The 105-minute film shows that Kim should not just be remembered as a victim of a painful tragedy and heinous atrocity who was alienated by her family.
Kim became a symbolic figure in Korea and around the world,... advocating for the anti-war movement, uncovering the truth about sexual slavery, and campaigning for women's rights issues.
Key moments of her lifelong fight for justice,... the weekly Wednesday protests in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul,... and the installation of the Statue of Peace there,... and in other parts of the world,... are highlighted in the film.
The film's director, investigative journalist Song Won-geun, says he hopes to make it clear that Kim's work isn't over.
The former victims of Japan's sex slavery have yet to receive a genuine, heartfelt apology that they can make peace with in their lifetime.
"I think the movie will inspire Koreans to think about this issue in a level-headed way and consider what we can do about it."
But he says time is running out.
Only 21 Korean victims are still alive, as most of them have already passed away.
The film will hit the big screen on August eighth.
Oh Soo-young, Arirang News.
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