Updated:2013-07-2817:51
제2차세계대전당시일본군에의해성노예가된피해여성을상징화한‘평화의소녀상’이미국캘리포니아주글렌데일에세워진다.
이소녀상은주한일본대사관맞은편소녀상과같은작가가똑같이새로만든작품이나글렌데일시립중앙도서관앞에세워질소녀상에는일본군위안부역사를설명하는석판이추가됐다.
‘평화의소녀상’이해외에세워지는것은이번이처음이며,위안부를기리는상징물이미국서부지역에들어서는것도처음이다.
이소녀상의건립은지난2007년마이크혼다(MikeHonda)미의원이발의한일본군위안부결의안통과를지원하기위해구성된한인동포단체가주한미포럼이주도했다.
이단체는결의안의결이성사되자캘리포니아지역공공부지에위안부기림비건립을추진해왔다.
현재뉴욕과뉴저지등의공공부지에위안부를기리는상징물32개가세워져있다.
글랜데일시정부는매년7월30일을‘일본군위안부의날’로지정하는등위안부문제에관심을기울여왔다.
베트남전참전용사이기도한글렌데일시의회프랭크킨테로(FrankQuintero)시의원은지난4월서울을방문해위안부의입장에대한인식을높이는데힘쓰겠다고약속한바있다.
일본정부는일부의원들이위안부가필요악이었다는발언등으로전쟁기간동안의성노예에대한책임을부인하고있다.
게다가아베신조총리와자민당이최근선거에서6년만에처음으로중의원과참의원양원에서집권당을차지하면서일본의민족주의는더욱팽배할것으로예상된다.
소녀상의건립과정에서도일본계주민의거센반발과로스앤젤레스주재일본총영사의압박을받는곡절을겪은것으로알려졌다.
MonumenttocomfortwomenerectedinCalifornia
ByLeeJoo-hee
AstatueofagirlsymbolizingthevictimsofsexualslaverybytheJapaneseimperialmilitaryduringWorldWarIIwillbeunveiledattheCityofGlendaleinCaliforniaonTuesday.
Thegirl,identicaltotheonethatsitsinfrontoftheJapaneseEmbassyinSeoul,willsettleinfrontoftheGlendaleCentralLibraryasareminderofKoreancomfortwomenthatstillfacedenialoftheirordealbytheJapanesegovernment.
Thestatuewillincorporateaslatetoexplainthehistoryofthecomfortwomen.Thisisthefirsttimeforthesculpturenamed“statueofagirlofpeace”tobeerectedoverseas,andthefirsttimeforamonumenttothecomfortwomentobesituatedatapublicsiteontheWestCoast,organizerssaid.
TheerectingoftheinstallationwasledbytheKoreanAmericanForumofCalifornia.
Theforum,comprisedofKorean-AmericansinCalifornia,wasformedtosupportthe2007HouseresolutionagainstJapan’ssexslaverysubmittedbyU.S.representativeMikeHonda.Uponthepassageoftheresolution,theforumhadbeencampaigningforamemorialstatueintheregion.
Thereare32othermonumentstotheKoreancomfortwomendisplayedinpublicplacesinNewYorkandNewJersey.
Glendalehasbeenactiveinacknowledgingthemovement,anddesignatedJuly30asKoreanComfortWomenDay.GlendaleMayorFrankQuintero,aVietnamWarveteran,hadpromisedduringhisvisittoSeoulinAprilthathewouldworktoraiseawarenessoftheplightofthecomfortwomen.
Japan’sgovernmenthasbeeninvitingescalatinginternationalscrutinyoveritsattempttowhitewashhistory,withanumberofitsleadingpoliticiansoutwardlydenyingthecountry’sresponsibilityforitswartimesexslavery,suchasbysayingitwasanecessaryevil.
NationalismisexpectedtocontinuetoprevailinJapanwithPrimeMinisterShinzoAbeandhisrulingblocrecentlyregainingcontrolofbothhousesofparliamentforthefirsttimeinsixyears.
TheinstallationofthestatuehasalsoreportedlybeenstronglyprotestedbyJapanese-AmericansandtheJapaneseconsulinLosAngeles.
(jhl@heraldcorp.com)
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