Gil Won-ok, Pioneering Advocate for Comfort Women, Passes at 96

Gil Won-ok, renowned for her persistent fight for recognition and reparations for wartime sexual slavery victims, has died at the age of 96. Despite her passing, her commitment to exposing the injustice faced by "comfort women" will continue to inspire future generations.

Gil Won-ok, a dedicated advocate for the rights of women who endured sexual slavery at the hands of Japanese soldiers during World War II, has passed away at the age of 96. Her death, which occurred in her Incheon home, was acknowledged by the South Korean government, although the specific cause is yet undisclosed. In her later years, Ms. Gil grappled with Alzheimer's and various other age-related health issues.

Throughout her life, Gil Won-ok remained an unwavering critic of Japan, calling out the government for its refusal to acknowledge and take responsibility for the sexual crimes committed during the war. Despite never receiving a formal apology or compensation—her lifelong quest—she was resolute that the struggle for justice would persist. "Even when we are gone, our descendants will keep fighting for the apology we deserve," she stated in 2013.

Since the early 1990s, as the South Korean government opened registration for victims of wartime sexual servitude, approximately 240 women have chosen to share their traumatic experiences with the public. Tragically, only seven of these women remain alive today, their average age nearing 95. In South Korea, these women have become powerful symbols of the nation’s historical suffering under Japanese colonial rule from 1910 to 1945.

The significance of Ms. Gil's contributions was underscored by the presence of politicians and high-ranking officials at her funeral service, honoring her relentless dedication to justice and recognition for comfort women. As her voice fades, those who follow in her footsteps continue to carry the torch of remembrance and truth.