Saturday

20. Yu Yeon Kim curator

Friday July 25, 2008

Lunch with Yu Yeon Kim, a Korean Curator based in New York City. She has curated international contemporary art exhibitions including the 2004 Liverpool Biennale(UK), the 3rd Kwangju Biennale(Korea), "Translated Acts - Performance and Body Art from East Asia" at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt(Berlin) and at the Queens Museum of Art(NY). She also curated "DMZ 2000" (NYC) about the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea.

19. Won Soon Park lawyer

Friday July 25, 2008

Meeting with Won Soon Park, Executive Director of The Hope Institute. Working for institutional change and social justice in Korea.

www.makehope.org

In 1994, he helped form People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD).

Founder of "The Beautiful Store" a project of "The Beautiful Foundation." which is "Aiming to rekindle Korean habits of generosity and to popularize philanthropy, Mr. Park challenged individuals and companies to donate just one percent of their income or time. More than twenty-six thousand people have done so. The Foundation redistributes the money to the needy and to local public-interest groups. Meanwhile, in the Foundation’s chain of Beautiful Stores, volunteers recycle donated goods and clothing for sale to low-income shoppers."

His own optimism is based on the power of social movements. "Hope does not fall from the sky," he says. "We create hope ourselves."



with Won Soon Park and Eunju Park



18. Meeting

Thursday July 24, 2008

Meeting with Hae Sook Shin, a former director of "The Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Sexual Slavery by Japan."



17. Korean Public Art

Thursday July 24, 2008

Meeting with Bowon Chung, a Korean sculptor doing Public Art. it was great to see her home and studio, and to discuss the public art scene in Korea. We also visited a number of Korean galleries including Kukje Gallery.

16. Professor Hyo Chae Lee

Tuesday July 22, 2008

Meeting with Professor Hyo Chae Lee, a former Professor of Sociology at Ewha Women's University and a respected long-time activist for women's rights in Korea. Along with Professor Jung Oak Yun, she was one of the first working to bring the Korean "comfort women" issue to light and to promote international awareness.

She is also the founder of Miracle Library, multi branch children's library and community center in Jinhae.




with Professor Hyo Chae Lee

Profossor Hyo Chae Lee, Jong Hwa Lee (director of Miracle Library), and Soon Hee Lee.




15. Nanumeh-Jip Exterior

Sunday July 20, 2008

Exterior of Nanumeh-Jip "the House of Sharing" and some of the memorial sculptures around the site.






14. Nanumeh-Jip Museum

Sunday July 20, 2008

At "The Museum of Japanese Imperial Army's Sexual Slavery" and "The Center for Peace and Human Rights."


Kim,Hak-Soon, the first Korean "Comfort Woman" to come forward in the 90's.

Pictures of "comfort women" and of Japanese soldiers waiting in line outside a "comfort station."

Exterior photos of two "Comfort Stations."

Example of an interior of a "comfort station" where "comfort women" were daily raped.




13. Nanumeh-Jip

Sunday July 20, 2008

With Korean "comfort women" *halmunis at Nanumeh-Jip ("The House of Sharing"): Il-Chul Kang, Oak-Seon Park, Myung-Kum Moon and Oak-Seon Yi.

* "halmunis" in Korean, or "ahmas" in Taiwanese means "grandmas". (In Asia, elders are commonly referred to as grandmother or grandfather, whether you are related to them or not, as a way of showing respect.)

Nanumeh-Jip ("The House of Sharing")

With Korean halmunis

With Oak-Seon Yi halmuni



12. Nanumeh-Jip Meeting

Sunday July 20, 2008

Visiting Nanumeh-Jip "The House of Sharing" where seven Korean "comfort women" *halmunis currently live, In Kyunggi-do, South Korea. Meeting with Shin Kweon Ahn(General Manager), Jung Sook Kim (Secretary general), Professor Keum Hye Park, Professor Tae Guk Jun, Soon Hee Lee and Paul Clay.

* "halmunis" in Korean, or "ahmas" in Taiwanese means "grandmas". (In Asia, elders are commonly referred to as grandmother or grandfather, whether you are related to them or not, as a way of showing respect.)




With Shin Kweon Ahn, General Manager

With Jung Sook Kim, Secretary-General


With Sang Gyu Kim

11. Professor Keum Hye Park

Thursday July 17, 2008

Soon Hee Lee who is an Ewha Women's University graduate and a community activist in Atlanta, Georgia, working on "Korean Teens and Drugs in the U.S." (and is also my mom) introduced me to Professor Keum Hye Park. 

Professor Keum Hye Park teaches Sociology at Ewha Women's University. We met near the Seoul Art Center, and had a lengthy four and a half hour meeting, discussing the complicated social and political environment surrounding the "Comfort Women" issue. 

We discussed appropriate sites to visit and people to interview. She helped arrange several meetings for me including one this Sunday at Nanumeh-Jip ("The House of Sharing"), an hour outside of Seoul, where several Korean "comfort women" grandmas are staying. She also arranged for me to meet next Tuesday with Hyo Chae Lee, who is an 85 year old activist and one of the founders of the "The Korean Council for the Women..."


With Soon Hee Lee and Professor Keum Hye Park


With Professor Park

10. Brief Meeting

Wednesday July 16, 2008

While at the Wednesday Demonstration I also met by chance,and was able to interview, Kung Hee Kim, one of the first activists involved in the late 1980's, gathering the first publicly available information on the "Comfort Woman" issue.




9. Wednesday Demonstration

Wednesday July 16, 2008

"Wednesday Demonstration" with visiting "Taipei Women's Rescue Foundation"(TWRF) 

The "Wednesday Demonstration" in front of the Japanese Embassy. Every Wednesday people have gathered since 1992 to protest for justice for these women. Despite the rain many people showed up including 7 Korean "comfort women" *halmunis and 2 Taiwanese "comfort women" *ahmas. There are currently 99 Korean survivors yet living. Most in their 80s and 90s and in ill health. These 7 halmuni are the most healthy and active. It was a very lively atmosphere.

* "halmunis" in Korean, or "ahmas" in Taiwanese means "grandmas". (In Asia, elders are commonly referred to as grandmother or grandfather, whether you are related to them or not, as a way of showing respect.)

Korean halmunis and Taiwanese ahmas




Korean traditional drumming or "Changku"




Good-byes to the Taiwanese TWRF

8. At Shim Toh

Tuesday July 15, 2008

Traveling with the Taiwanese organization to "Shim Toh" ("A resting place" in Korean), an organized home where three Korean "comfort women" *halmunis are living in Seoul. The Taiwanese "comfort women" *ahmas from the "Taipei Women's Rescue Foundation" meet some of the surviving Korean grandmas. 

* "halmunis" in Korean, or "ahmas" in Taiwanese means "grandmas". (In Asia, elders are commonly referred to as grandmother or grandfather, whether you are related to them or not, as a way of showing respect.)