Statue of Peace

Lore & Background

The Wednesday demonstration started in 1992, and nearly 20 years later, the idea for the Statue of Peace was proposed by the Korean Council for Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan. The council proposed that a memorial stone be erected in front of the embassy of Japan in Seoul to commemorate the women forced into sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Pacific War. This proposal was realized on 14 December 2011, when the bronze statue was installed in front of the embassy. The statue was designed by the couple Kim Seo-kyung and Kim Eun-sung, depicting a girl dressed in a chima jeogori, a modified form of hanbok in the late-19th to early-20th century, with small hands and short hair, sitting and staring at the embassy of Japan in central Seoul.

Japan has repeatedly demanded that the statue be removed. Seoul, and especially the victims, have rejected such demands, consistently arguing that the Japanese government has never officially admitted the direct involvement of its military in the comfort women issue. Until now in South Korea, since the Statue of Peace has not been designated as a public sculpture, it has been difficult to prevent it from being damaged. In June 2017, the civil congress of the city of Busan created a legal foundation to protect the statue by passing the relevant ordinance.

Reader's Guide

The Statue of Peace serves as a lasting symbol of the women forced into sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces before and during World War II. Its placement in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul has sparked ongoing diplomatic tensions between South Korea and Japan. In 2015, the two countries reached an agreement to settle the comfort women issue, with South Korea acknowledging Japan's concerns about the statue and committing to address the issue, though it never explicitly promised removal. Japan later stated it would not pay ¥1 billion as compensation unless the statue was removed, and after a second statue was erected in Busan, Japan recalled two diplomats and halted high-level talks. South Korea terminated the 2015 agreement in November 2018 and shut down the Japanese-funded comfort women foundation, while Japan maintains the agreement is still legally binding.

The statue has inspired other monuments worldwide, including in San Francisco, California, which led Osaka, Japan to end its decades-long sister-city relationship. In Aurora, Colorado, a 2021 city council vote rejected a proposal for a statue on public property, citing community response including antagonistic events, vandalism, Asian hate, and legal action. Replicas have also appeared in Glendale, California, and Stintino, Italy, where Japanese far-right figures reportedly sent threatening communications. The statue remains a contested symbol, representing unresolved historical grievances and ongoing representational battles.

Did You Know?

• The Statue of Peace was first erected on 14 December 2011 in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul.
• The statue was designed by the couple Kim Seo-kyung and Kim Eun-sung.
• In June 2017, the civil congress of Busan passed an ordinance to create a legal foundation to protect the statue.
• A replica in Stintino, Italy reportedly caused Japanese far-right figures to send threatening emails, letters, and packages to the local government.