In November 2022, the Berlin-Mitte district assembly voted to retain the Statue of Peace in Berlin. More recently, in June 2025, another statue was permanently installed at the Bonn Women’s Museum, following temporary exhibitions in Dresden and Köln. Like the Berlin memorial, it faced strong opposition from the Japanese government and right-wing groups. Nonetheless, the installation succeeded thanks to the support of the museum and the local community, who recognized both the historical significance of wartime sexual violence and the importance of remembering the “Comfort Women.”

Together, the statues in Berlin, Bonn, and other cities illustrate how the “Comfort Women” memorial movement has crossed national borders, even into European cities and towns that might initially appear distant from the history of the Asia-Pacific War. By bringing this history into public spaces, the memorial movement underscores the universal significance of women’s and human rights while also prompting new conversations about cultural memory, historical responsibility, and identity within local societies. Despite ongoing political pressure and historical denialism, these monuments have generally been welcomed by local communities, valued for their reminder that remembering past violations of women’s rights is essential to preventing their recurrence.

Nataly Jung-Hwa Han, chairwoman of Korea Verband, has played a central role in raising awareness of the issue and in the installation of the Berlin and Bonn statues. Established in 2020, the Berlin statue was the first public memorial in Europe dedicated to the “Comfort Women,” and has since become a powerful symbol of activism and remembrance in the region. In this article, Han reflects on the struggles, threats to remove, and ongoing challenges surrounding the installation, as well as the continuing efforts to preserve the statue in its current location.

In February 2020, the Korea Verband, a Berlin-based civic organization, submitted an application to the Art in Urban Space Committee of Berlin’s Mitte district for permission to install the Statue of Peace. Official approval was granted in July 2020. The unveiling was initially scheduled for August 14, 2020, to commemorate the courage of Kim Hak-sun. However, due to road construction, the ceremony was postponed by six weeks, and the statue was formally unveiled on September 28, 2020, in the Moabit neighborhood of Berlin’s Mitte district. The following day, September 29, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato (currently Minister of Health, Labor, and Welfare) emphasized at a regular press conference: “This decision is deeply regrettable, as it is inconsistent with our government’s position and previous measures. The Japanese government will continue to engage with various officials in Germany to explain our stance and demand the prompt removal of the statue.” He further remarked that in other countries where similar statues had been erected, “there have been cases in which the matter was resolved in line with Japan’s actions to date,” adding, “We will continue to make efforts to gain proper understanding and recognition from the international community.”

On October 1, Sankei Shimbun reported that Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi would raise the issue of removing the Berlin Statue of Peace with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas during a meeting in Paris. This marked the first time the Japanese government had officially mobilized such a high-ranking official to call for the statue’s removal. Until then, the Japanese ambassador had made such requests informally in private meetings with local officials.

Taken aback by Japan’s demands, the German Foreign Ministry and the Berlin city government pressured the mayor of the Mitte district, resulting in the issuance of an urgent removal order on October 7. The official memorandum stated: “The Korea Verband has created a difficult situation by involving Germany in the unresolved conflict between Korea and Japan and by pressuring Germany to take Korea’s side. The inscription on the statue is also problematic, as it unilaterally attacks Japan even though the German military committed crimes similar to those of the Japanese army during the Second World War. Moreover, there is a risk that the statue could provoke conflict among immigrants from more than 100 countries and thereby undermine peaceful coexistence.” The memorandum further warned that if the statue was not removed within seven days, a fine of €2,500 would be imposed.

When I first received the removal order, I was overwhelmed by its injustice; my vision went dark, and my blood seemed to boil. Two years of meticulous preparation for the statue collapsed in an instant. It had been only ten days since the installation. Because public art installations in Berlin were required to demonstrate a connection to the building in front of which they were placed, the Korea Verband relocated its office from the second floor to the first floor in 2018 and initiated plans to establish a museum dedicated to the Japanese Military “Comfort Women.” As part of these preparations, in January 2019, a photo exhibition and an art exhibition were organized, to which politicians were invited. A staff member from the Mitte District’s Art in Urban Space office visited the exhibition venue and provided detailed guidance on the procedures for installation. An application was then prepared with great care over the course of a year. In addition, in collaboration with local residents, the Korea Verband ultimately secured official permission for the statue’s installation. For a small civic organization such as the Korea Verband, the process of transporting a 1.5-ton statue from Korea to Germany already represented a significant burden; the removal order was therefore particularly devastating.

The moment the removal order was issued, I was introduced to an administrative lawyer through an acquaintance and, just in time, submitted an injunction application to the Berlin Administrative Court on October 13, the day before the scheduled removal. Until the court reached a verdict, the statue could not be demolished. At the same time, I informed the press. Late that night, I urgently phoned Sven Hansen, East Asia editor of the progressive daily taz, who had long been involved in Korea’s democratization movement and was well-versed in Korea–Japan relations, to inform him of the situation. His first remark was that Germany’s strong tradition of local autonomy meant that even orders from the central government would be of little effect. Over the following weeks, we spoke several times, exchanging information. The first article on the Statue of Peace, published in taz, clarified the situation for the wider public and likely exerted a positive influence on members of the district council. Subsequent reports appeared in Berlin-based newspapers such as Berliner Zeitung and Der Tagesspiegel, followed by coverage from national media outlets including the Süddeutsche Zeitung. Later, international English-language newspapers such as the Financial Times and The Nation also published pointed criticisms of the developments in Berlin’s Mitte district.

Civil society’s responses to the removal order were equally strong. In Berlin’s Mitte district, the Green Party, the Social Democratic Party, and the Left Party immediately expressed their opposition. The Association of Berlin Artists also issued a statement condemning the violation of freedom of expression. In addition, prominent figures, professors, scholars, and ordinary citizens sent letters to the district mayor of Mitte. When a Korean student in Germany launched an online petition campaign opposing the statue’s removal, more than 9,000 signatures were collected within a short period. The Korea Verband also initiated an open-letter campaign, which gathered an additional 3,700 signatures.

On October 13, a press conference and protest were organized within just two days. Media outlets from Korea, Germany, and Japan gathered at the site, and despite the early hour of 1 p.m., more than 300 Berlin citizens participated in a street demonstration from the Statue of Peace to the Mitte District Office. The day before the protest, a statement was delivered to the secretary of Mitte District Mayor Stephan von Dassel. At the demonstration, the district mayor appeared and declared that, since the removal order had already been suspended by the injunction application, he would seek a compromise between the Japanese Embassy and the Korea Verband until the court issued its decision. This announcement averted the immediate threat of removal. In early December, the district mayor of Mitte officially rescinded the removal order, and the Korea Verband withdrew its injunction application, preventing the case from proceeding to trial.

As soon as this development became known, a prominent German civic organization, Grannies Against the Right (Omas gegen Rechts), applied pressure on the district council. Throughout that cold winter, monthly candlelight rallies were held in front of the council building together with members of the organization. Korean expatriates and musicians also gathered voluntarily at the Statue of Peace, performing music that resonated with local residents. Meanwhile, emails from across the world, expressing urgent appeals for the preservation of the statue, poured into Berlin-Moabit like a tidal wave, moving the hearts of politicians.

Since the statue stood in a public space, the determination of the Mitte district councilors was crucial to maximizing its legal protection. Over the past two years, the Green Party, the Social Democratic Party, the Left Party, and the Progressive Party joined forces to pass resolutions for the statue’s permanent preservation on more than five occasions, each by majority vote. The Art in Urban Space office reassured us not to worry, saying that following the issuance of a one-year permit, extensions of one or two years would likely be granted depending on public response. Ironically, pressure from the Japanese government and the removal order unjustly issued by the district mayor of Mitte district ultimately strengthened the case for the statue’s permanence. This raises the question: Is history merely the product of coincidence, or does it follow a predetermined course? For the previous two years, the greatest obstacle to the statue’s permanent preservation had been the Mitte district mayor. Widely circulated rumors suggested that he had cultivated a particularly close relationship with the Japanese Embassy regarding the statue and was consequently attentive to their views, which explained his strong opposition to permanence. In September, however, district mayor Stephan von Dassel abruptly resigned following a personnel corruption scandal. In early November, his successor, the newly elected female mayor Stefanie Remlinger, announced a two-year extension for the preservation of the Statue of Peace, further indicating that preparations would be undertaken during this period to designate it as an official memorial.

The Berlin Statue of Peace exposed the Japanese government’s despicable attempts to conceal its crimes and evade responsibility, and ultimately secured its permanent preservation. In this way, the next-generation education we had long hoped for over the past 30 years has begun to take place naturally. Over the past two years—initially almost daily, and more recently approximately once every two weeks—we have continued to receive interview requests from German high school students, as well as undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students, along with journalists, scholars, women’s organizations, and human rights groups.

Following the revelation of the injustice surrounding the Berlin Statue of Peace, in January of this year, the president of the student council at the University of Kassel in Germany expressed interest in establishing a statue on campus. In response, the artist couple Kim Seo-kyung and Kim Eun-sung donated a Statue of Peace. With the support of German citizens and fundraising by Korea’s TBS radio program Kim Eo-jun’s News Factory, enough funds were raised to cover transportation costs, enabling the statue’s permanent installation. This achievement is especially meaningful, as it reflects the will of the Japanese Military “Comfort Women” victims, who traveled across the world testifying, “Please make sure such atrocities are never repeated in history.” With contributions from Korean citizens, the Museum of “Comfort Women” (Museum der Trostfrauen) was also established and now operates tirelessly to provide education for young people and the broader public.

Looking back, the erection and preservation of the Berlin Statue of Peace was not something achieved overnight. The statue is not merely an anti-Japanese symbol or a product of nationalism; it forms part of a postcolonial feminist movement that amplifies the voices of girls and women, the most marginalized under colonial rule and patriarchy. Its installation in Berlin was made possible by the strong sense of justice within Korean civil society. As both a symbol of the Japanese Military “Comfort Women” movement and an expression of the postcolonial feminist movement, the Statue of Peace has become a source of strength for many women’s organizations in Berlin. It also represents the outcome of more than 30 years of sustained solidarity among German, Korean, and Japanese women’s groups who have continued their activism in Berlin.

The Black Lives Matter Movement, which emerged after the death of George Floyd, played a major role in the process of securing the statue’s permanent preservation. This movement prompted German society to reflect on colonialism and racism. At the same time, the COVID-19 pandemic brought racial discrimination against Asians to the surface, fueling powerful anti-colonial, anti-racist, and anti-discrimination movements in Berlin over the past three years. Owing to this sweeping wave of historical change, public perceptions of immigrants in major cities such as Berlin have been undergoing rapid transformation.

Today, the Statue of Peace has become a symbol of women’s rights, disseminating the message of peace through dialogue with residents in Moabit, a neighborhood in Berlin-Mitte. To empathize with those who suffer and to pursue justice constitutes the very essence of peace. In this spirit, the residents of Berlin now proclaim toward the Statue of Peace: “The Statue of Peace is our statue!”