Press Conference of Comfort Women and Holocaust Survivors (The 1000th Seoul’s Wednesday Protest Promotion Event)

[From left,
clockwise: Chejin Park Esq., Dongchan Kim, Kupferberg Holocaust Center’s
Executive Director Dr. Arthur Flug, KAVC Chairman Esther Lee, Artist Steve
Cavallo, Holocaust Survivors Hanne Liebmann and Ethel Katz]

In November 21,
2011, Korean American Voters’ Council had a press conference about the upcoming
event, “Comfort Women & Holocaust survivors Calling for Justice Together”
that will take place at Kupferberg Holocaust Resource Center, 6 PM, December
13, 2011. Two special guests, Ethel Katz and Hanne Liebmann, who are the
Holocaust survivors, were asked to attend the event on December 13 to meet with
the Comfort Women survivors. Mrs. Katz explained that based on the tragic
history of the Holocaust, she was able to understand the woeful experience of
Comfort Women survivors, and Mrs. Liebmann pointed out that Germany had officially
apologized long ago and Japan should apologize as soon as possible. 

Since H.Res 121 of
2007, the Comfort Women Resolution of the House of Representatives, KAVC has
been working on the Comfort Women issue. In result, the first Comfort women
memorial in the Western world (2010), the first Comfort women art exhibition
associated with Jewish community (2011), and Upcoming Asian history internship
program in Kupferberg Holocaust Center (2012) has been established.

Japan did not
officially recognize nor apologize since the comfort women issues arose, and
even downplayed the history. The protest against Japan took place every Wednesday
since January, 1992 in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul. On December 14
(December 13 in USA), it will be the 1000^th Wednesday protest.

After the event on December 13, KAVC and Kupferberg Holocaust Center have agreed to create “Asian history internship program” in the holocaust center to follow up the issue. This program will educate college students in New York City about history.