In 2014 Angouleme Comic Festival,Cartoons about former Korean sex slaves to the Japanese military during World War II will be exhibited. Some 20 cartoons and four videos including animations by local artists telling tragic stories of the former sex slavery victims will be featured in a special exhibition of the 2014 Angouleme International Comics Festival. Minister of gender equality and family plans to promote a special exhibition of Korean cartoons themed on Asian victims of the Japanese military’s sexual enslavement during World War II. The exhibition is part of the 2014 Angouleme International Comics Festival scheduled for Jan. 30-Feb. 2 in the southwestern French city of the same name.

However, the scheduled press conference meeting, inviting French newspapers and popular celebrities was suddenly cancelled  a day prior by the request of Angouleme International Comics Festival Committee. The Committee informed that the Committee would cancel the special exhibition of ‘Comfort Women’ if the press meeting were held.

It was strongly suspected that behind this sudden, unexpected request of the Festival Committee was driven by the pressure of Japanese government. Japan is the biggest financial contributor of ‘Angouleme’ Festival. Japanese government vehemently protested initially when the special exhibition for ‘Comfort Women’ was announced at ‘Angouleme’ Festival.

It is really sad and feels helpless to see that Japanese government tries every bit of their power to hide and squash Japan’s atrocious act during the war rather than acknowledge and apologize to its victims.

By Justice for Comfort Women.org