A memorial to Comfort Women during World War II approved for Fort Lee, New Jersey has divided the Korean American community, reports North Jersey.com.
The approved design shows a woman in a Korean robe with a Japanese flag in the background. The inscription reads “over 200,000 women from every country in East Asia who were forced into sexual service by the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II.”
It was submitted by the Korean American Vietnam War Veterans group, but is opposed by members of the local Korean American community along with the Hackensack-based Korean American Civic Empowerment group and the Korean American Association of Greater New York.
Some fear the memorial will re-ignite tensions between Japan and Korea.
“We want to make this a women’s rights issue. This isn’t anti-Japan,” said Nuri Han, Korean American Civic Empowerment’s program director.
But others strongly disagree.
” Who the hell are they to come over here and tell us what monument to build?” said. Jim Viola, the commander of the Fort Lee Veterans of Foreign Wars “That’s a little arrogant.”
