A new ‘Comfort Women’ monument at Liberty Plaza, located at the intersection of 30th Street and Palisade Avenue in Union City, was dedicated on Monday. The monument pays homage to the women that were victims of sexual assault at the hands of the Japanese military during World War II.Â
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A crowd of approximately 75-100 individuals – consisting of elected officials and Hudson County residents alike – gathered at the Liberty Plaza in Union City, located at the intersection of 30th Street and Palisade Avenue, to celebrate the unveiling of a new “Comfort Women” memorial.
The memorial pays homage to the women that were beaten and sexually abused in Japan during World War II. Lucio Fernandez, the Commissioner of Public Affairs, explained why he felt the memorial was a necessity in Union City. Mayor Brian Stack and State Senator Sandra Cunningham echoed those sentiments.
Ok-Sun Lee,87, and Il Chul Kang, 86, two residents of Korea who flew to Union City for the event, spoke through a translator to to explain the atrocities that were committed against them in World War II, showing disdain for the term “comfort women†and how being sexually assaulted took away their honor and dignity.
After the monument was unveiled, Fernandez, addressing a slew of media, answered specific questions about the history behind the monument. He said he could not confirm or deny that Japanese officials sent a letter to the city decrying the monument being out up, insisting there were issues at hand far larger than that.
Finally, we spoke with Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer about her feelings on the event.