Grandma Lee Yong-soo, who lived in a 12-pyeong house, moves to a new apartment

Lee Yong-soo, 93, a victim of a Japanese military’comfort woman’ who has lived in a public rental apartment in Dalseo-gu, Daegu for more than 20 years, moves to an apartment in Suseong-gu, Daegu in the middle of this month. The area for exclusive use of the apartment has also expanded to 84.99m2 (26 pyeong).

This grandmother lived in a narrow, old apartment measuring 39.6m2 (12 pyeong). One room and living room are everything. A caregiver or a nursing care worker came to take care of this grandmother, but the house was small and the inconvenience was great. It was difficult to welcome guests.

After the press conference in May last year, due to the psychological burden of rising public interest, he left the public rental apartment he had been living in and has been temporarily living in the city.

Daegu City revised the related ordinances for housing support in September last year so that this grandmother can live a healthy and comfortable retirement, and prepared the basis for support and secured a budget of 400 million won.

The citizens’ gathering with Daegu City and Grandma Jungshin University set up an apartment (3 rooms, 2 toilets) in the city center 10 minutes away by car from the hospital where this grandmother attends or the Heeum Museum of History. It has undergone a complete remodeling for two weeks so that this grandmother does not have any inconvenience in living.

Currently, there are 16 survivors of comfort women in the Japanese military, most of them living in poor living spaces such as public rental housing, shelter, and private housing. Daegu City is the first case in which local governments rent private apartments and provide them as residential spaces.

Daegu Mayor Kwon Young-jin said, “I hope that my grandmother will work in a healthy new home as a women’s rights activist who informs the world about the correct history of comfort women in the Japanese military.”

Daegu = Reporter Kim Jeong-seok
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