A Berlin district council has voted to retract its earlier order to remove "Statue of Peace." (Yonhap News)
By Kim Minji
A district of Berlin has retracted its earlier order to remove a statue commemorating victims of sexual slavery by Japan before and during World War II.
The German daily Tageszeitung (Daily Newspaper) on Nov. 6 said the Mitte council the day before in a plenary session voted 27-9 to reverse its decision to remove "Statue of Peace."
The district had ordered the statue's removal by Oct. 14, but after its vote, the work is highly likely to remain in Mitte for about a year.
The council's resolution said, "'Statue of Peace' productively contributes to the discussion and fact-finding of sexual violence against women in violent conflicts."
Alexander Freitag, a district representative from the Pirate Party of Germany, said on the retraction of the removal order, "Thanks to this statue, we were able to open our eyes (on this issue). Few monuments have done this. This is an incredible thing."
The German-based civic group Korea Verband (Association), which set up the statue, said on Nov. 7 on its Facebook page, "The council's decision is highly significant in a historical sense and proves Berlin's openness," adding, "We are ready for dialogue at any time."
The statue was installed in late September on a Mitte street but the district on Oct. 7 ordered its removal due to pressure from Japan. This in turn provoked outrage from civic groups in Germany.