A beautiful and solemn gathering to remember Grandma Ahn, Jeom-soon in Glendale at the “Comfort Women” Glendale Peace Monument. Grandma Ahn passed away recently in Korea. Thank you everyone who came out and those who remembered Grandma Ahn in your prayers. We found the origami—cranes—at the Memorial and we rearranged them. Thank you, the nameless person who brought the origami for the Grandmas!
Special thanks to Rev. Myokyong Sunim of Korea Temple, Father John Kim and Rev. James Choi for leading the ritual.
Grandma Ahn was born in Seoul in 1928. She was taken away to China and forced to serve as a sex slave until 1945 in China. She came back in 1946 but lived in other regions of South Korea until she settled in Suwon in 1986. She registered as a “Comfort Women” victim in 1993 and became a human rights activist since 2002 when started testifying about her experiences.
Until she passed away, Grandma Ahn demanded direct, formal apology by the Japanese government saying, “Even millions of money will not bring my youth back, but the perpetrator Japanese government has the audacity of denying its crime while the victims are in grave pain and suffering.”
Grandma Ahn’s death leaves the number of the South Korean victims who have registered with the South Korean government to 29.
Please come and light an incense with your prayer for her. We hope to see you there!!
