The Petals Around the Stigma

For a 91-year-old, Kim Bok-dong looks hale and hearty. Cheeks dotted with liver spots, wispy grey hair neatly combed. Kim doesn’t stand out in the crowd. But once she starts to talk about the “comfort women” issue, her eyes beam with passion. “Comfort women” is a euphemism, referring to women forced into prostitution for the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. It is a sensitive issue between South Korea and Japan. Recently, South Korean president Moon Jae-in pressed Japan to apologize o