Daegu Mayor Choo attends memorial concert for comfort women victims

Daegu city held a memorial concert Friday at Beomeo Cathedral in Suseong-gu to mark the Day of Remembrance for Japanese Military Comfort Women Victims, honoring the painful history and reaffirming a commitment to restoring the victims' dignity.

About 300 people attended the concert, including comfort woman survivor Lee Yong-su, Daegu Mayor Choo Kyung-ho, Choi Bong-tae, chairman of the Citizens' Group with Comfort Women Grandmothers, and local residents.

Now in its ninth year, the Day of Remembrance is a national commemorative day established to mark Aug. 14, 1991, when the late Kim Hak-sun became the first comfort woman victim to publicly testify about her experiences.

It was the first time a sitting Daegu mayor had attended the event since the commemorative day was established.

Lee greeted Mayor Choo's arrival warmly and expressed her gratitude. Choo sat beside her throughout the ceremony, holding her hand.

"The courageous testimonies of comfort women victims have spread the values of human rights and peace and helped build solidarity in the international community," Choo said. "Daegu city will also work to remember this painful history and pass on the value of human rights to future generations, so that the same suffering is never repeated."