Shutterbugs in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region caught stunning moments of the annual Perseid meteor shower in the split second through their lenses on Wednesday night when the Perseids reached its peak.
The Perseids is one of the most highly anticipated annual meteor showers. Associated with comet Swift-Tuttle, it is usually observable from mid-July to early September.
At the Wula Mountains in Inner Mongolia, stars lit up the sky when the night fell. At around 21:30, the shooting stars streaked through the sky from time to time.
Meanwhile, at the Tenihe Wetland in the region, shutterbugs had been waiting for the meteor shower for a long time when the meteor shower took place. Since the wetland was far away from the urban lights, the sky transparency was quite high, allowing people to observe the beauty of shooting stars really clearly.
Professionals suggest that the period of time from late midnight to predawn would be the most ideal window for observation.
Shutterbugs in north China's Inner Mongolia capture stunning moments of Perseid meteor shower
Demonstrators of the Republic of Korea (ROK) in Seoul on Wednesday gathered outside the Japanese embassy to commemorate victims of Japan's wartime military sexual slavery, commonly referred to as "comfort women," two days ahead of the annual international memorial day, expressing commitment to ensuring that the victims are never forgotten.
"Comfort women" refers to victims forced into sexual slavery by Japanese troops during World War II (WWII).
In 2012, the day of Aug. 14 was designated the International Memorial Day for "Comfort Women" by the 11th Asian Alliance Conference for "Comfort Women."
In November 2017, the ROK's National Assembly passed legislation to designate the date as a national memorial day for "comfort women".
It was on Aug 14, 1991, when the late victim, Kim Hak-sun, first publicly recounted her experience of being forced into sexual servitude by the Japanese military during World War II. Her testimony not only exposed Japan's wartime abuses but also encouraged other survivors to share their stories.
Wednesday's protest has drawn ROK younger generations who are determined to keep the victims' stories alive.
"I've always felt so many people are here to remember this issue and to make sure that something like this never happens again. The moment I realized that people were coming here to remember the testimonies the grandmothers first shared, I've been wanting to come to this Wednesday protest every week ever since," said Choi Su-bin, a university student.
The issue has become a rallying point for international solidarity and human rights advocacy, according to a scholar.
"The story of the victims has become an internationally recognized issue, and one of the few issues through which people around the world can come together and show solidarity. People continue to talk about it because they want to remember the victims and make sure something like this never happens again," said Park Jung-ae, a research fellow of the Northeast Asian History Foundation.
The history of the issue has shown that public discourse around it can affect the broader relationship between the ROK and Japan.
"We have experienced how statements attacking and insulting the victims caused deep wounds among people in both Japan and the ROK, and how they ultimately damaged relations between the two countries. I think both sides can approach the issue much more carefully, having learned from the experience that such remarks actually made relations worse," Park said.
The scholar also noted that remembrance risks becoming generic when individual stories are lost.
"In the past, we remembered individual victims -- Kim Hak-soon, Kim Bok-dong, Gil Won-ok, and so many others -- by learning about their individual stories. But increasingly, I worry that we simply refer to them collectively [as 'comfort women,'] without really knowing what it is that we are remembering. I think we need to return to that original spirit," she said.
ROK demonstrators express commitment to remembering "comfort women"
