2nd Message and Request to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (March 14, 2021)

Korean "comfort woman" survivor Lee Yong-soo reiterates that the backroom verbal "deal" from 2015 did not bring any resolution for the "comfort women" victims.
Japan, South Korea, and the U.S. have respectively committed to gender equality, a victim-centered resolution, and upholding international human rights norms.
Now is the time to live up to these words.
Ms. Lee Yong-soo is one of 15 known "comfort women" survivors in South Korea today. This is her second request for a meeting with Secretary Blinken.
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Dear Secretary of State Antony Blinken,
My greetings to you (안녕하십니까).
I am a survivor of a WWII atrocity known as the “comfort women” system. My name is Lee Yong-soo.
The Allied Powers won the Second World War, but the “comfort women,” after having suffered through the largest known case of wartime sexual slavery, did not receive justice.
For your efforts to address "comfort women" issues in 2015, I am grateful.
But the "agreement" in 2015 was a sham. It did not resolve anything. No one asked the "comfort women" victims what kind of justice we wanted.
This “deal” that was done without the victims' knowledge or consent, when it was announced [in 2015], caused myself and my fellow "comfort women" survivors deep trauma and outrage.
Because this purported 2015 verbal “settlement" does not reflect victims’ voices and demands, it is invalid. We will never accept it.
This "deal" was made by impeached former President Park Geun-hye, who is now in jail.
And diplomatic relations between Japan and South Korea remain tense.
Most importantly for the "comfort women," Japan's government has never made a clear, direct apology in front of victims and survivors.
Instead, Japan's government takes the position that South Korea is banned from referring to the "comfort women" system as a “human rights violation.”
Even when truthful things are said about "comfort women" by scholars abroad, Japan harasses them and attacks "comfort women" memorials around the world.
The Japanese government's stance of impunity and refusal to admit to war crimes has caused even a Harvard Law professor [Mark Ramseyer] to deny the plain facts.
Last week, Japan’s Prime Minister [Yoshihide] Suga said he supports gender equality. South Korean President Moon Jae-in speaks of a victim-centered resolution and says Korea must do more for women. The U.S. has pledged to champion human rights around the world.
So I ask that everyone live up to these words and work towards meaningful justice for “comfort women.”
I ask this on behalf of all “comfort women."
Please do not walk over our bodies and call it “peace.”
I believe that you, Secretary Blinken, can persuade the governments of Japan and Korea to strive for a victim-centered resolution.
I ask that Japan, Korea, and the U.S. work together for a definitive resolution of the “comfort women” issue.
During your visit to South Korea, I respectfully request that you meet with me, please.
Thank you very much. (감사합니다.)
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S. Korean President Moon Jae-in says a sincere apology to "comfort women" is required (Feb. 19, 2021): bit.ly/3vyidJ0
US pledges to support human rights and to join the UN Human Rights Council (Feb. 24, 2021): bit.ly/38TYERP
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato says South Korea’s Second Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-moon is not allowed to refer to "comfort women" as a "universal human rights issue" in front of the UN Human Rights Council (Feb. 24, 2021): bit.ly/3qYKBR9
Japan's Cabinet sets policy goal of gender equality (Mar. 9, 2021): bit.ly/30WJ82U