Protest held in Seoul to remember "comfort women" victims

Crowds of South Koreans gathered outside Japan's embassy in Seoul on Wednesday to mark International Comfort Women Memorial Day, demanding a formal apology and proper compensation for Japan's wartime use of "comfort women."

August 14 marks International Comfort Women Memorial Day in South Korea, honoring the survivors of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery.

For nearly 35 years, activists have rallied every Wednesday, rain or shine, in front of the embassy, seeking justice for the Korean women forced into sexual slavery by Japan’s military during World War II.

"Even with the rain coming down like this, seeing all of you here brings me to tears. Thank you, thank you, thank you," said Lee Yong-soo, a victim of Japanese wartime sexual slavery.

This protest is one of the world’s longest-running demonstrations and has become a symbol and solemn reminder of a painful history that still shapes relations between Seoul and Tokyo.

Known as "comfort women," the survivors - many now in their 90s - have spent decades seeking a formal apology and state compensation from Japan.

"If we don’t speak out and make ourselves heard, people won’t listen - they hardly do even now. So rather than let this be forgotten, we keep taking action. When we do, people gather like this in great numbers," said Choi Ye-ji, a protester.

With the number of surviving victims dwindling, activists emphasize the urgency to resolve the issue.

"If we have will to preserve and teach the next generation, it will survive. All these organizations involved in it still continue to teach students, ordinary people through our activities and through Wednesday demonstrations, through the documents that we keep through our museums," said Shin Hei-soo, chair of the Board of Directors at the Korea Center for United Nations Human Rights Policy.

Ever since the first "comfort woman" testified publicly with her story back in 1991, the message remains the same: the past may be fading, but the fight for justice is far from over.

Protest held in Seoul to remember "comfort women" victims

Witnesses have recalled the terrifying moment a five-story residential building spontaneously collapsed in the Lebanese city of Tripoli on Sunday, killing at least 15 people. The collapse occurred on Sunday afternoon in in Tripoli's Bab al-Tabbaneh district. According to local authorities, the building, an aging residential structure, crumbled within seconds. The mayor of Tripoli, Abdel Hamid Karimeh said the city is facing a growing building safety crisis, warning that thousands of structures are at risk due to years of neglect and lack of maintenance.

A witness who was near the scene said the collapse happened suddenly, leaving no time for people to react.

"I was here, sitting outside my shop. It was around 3:30 or 4:00 p.m. when it happened. At that time, as far as I can remember, we were the only ones on the street. Our neighbor's daughter was here. She is about 12 or 13 years old. She ran, jumped toward me, and said, 'The building is collapsing.' I looked at the building. In a matter of seconds, it crumbled completely. In the blink of an eye, it collapsed completely - no wall fell first, no warning at all," he said.

Another resident said people from the nearby neighborhoods joined rescue efforts, working together to clear rubble and search for survivors.

"When disaster struck, the Al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen neighborhoods joined forces to clear the rubble and save lives, and to recover bodies from under the debris. I have two children who were on the street at the time of the tragedy. I gave it my all until I found them," the resident said.

Witnesses recount sudden collapse of residential building in Lebanon