[Photo] First photo exhibit of South and North Korean comfort women survivors to be held until Mar. 11

In commemoration of the centennial of the Mar. 1 Independence Movement, a collection of photographs of comfort women survivors from both South and North Korea has been publicly released for the first time. The photographs are part of an exhibition organized by the Women's Human Rights Institute of Korea at Insa Art Center in Seoul from Mar. 6 to 11. The exhibit features all images Japanese photojournalist Takashi Ito took of 14 North Korean survivors. The photos of 10 South Korean survivors were taken by documentary filmmaker Ahn Hae-ryong.

The photo shows comfort women survivor Kim Hak-soon (right) running up to hug fellow victim Kim Yong-sil (left) after the latter finished her 1992 testimony regarding the sexual enslavement by the Japanese imperial military. Both victims are from North Korea. Kim Hak-soon gave the first public testimony regarding the comfort women. (Takashi Ito)