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South Korean artists conduct a performance in protest of the recent decision to remove the comfort women statue in Berlin, during a press conference on Sept. 24 in front of the German Embassy in Seoul. (Yonhap) |
A civic group of Koreans living in Germany said Thursday they had filed for a court injunction against a Berlin district's recent decision to remove the Statue of Peace, erected to honor victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery.
Korea Verband said it submitted the papers to reverse the recent decision made by the officials of Berlin's Mitte district last month. The district had provided notification of an order to remove the statue by the end of this month, citing the road laws of the city and the state.
The statue of a young Korean girl symbolizes "comfort women," which is a euphemism for women sexually enslaved during World War II. The statue in Berlin was erected by Korea Verband, which faces fines if it is unwilling to comply with the recent decision.
Mitte has maintained its official position that a specific statue cannot be permanently placed in a public space. It granted "duldung (permit of tolerated stay)" for the statue in 2022, two years after its erection, but said it is against custom for statues to be placed at public spaces for more than two years.
Korea Verband pointed out that the district office has already effectively extended the two-year permit, and removing the statue would hinder an educational program linked to the Museum of Comfort Women. It also claimed that removal of the statue would infringe upon the freedom of art and association stipulated by the German Constitution, while inflicting damage upon Korea Verband's activities.
