Taipei, June 6 (CNA) Taiwanese and South Korean groups dedicated to women's rights are organizing a summer trip for Taiwanese teenagers to South Korea to learn more about the issue of "comfort women," women forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II.
As part of the program, 15 Taiwanese aged 16-18 will visit Daegu City in South Korea from Aug. 17-19, according to the Taipei Women's Rescue Foundation.
During the trip, participants will visit the Museum of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan, call on surviving Korean comfort women, watch related documentaries and attend seminars to discuss human rights in Asia.
The Taiwanese young people will also have an opportunity to exchange views with their South Korean counterparts through group discussions, give joint presentations or stage art performances, the foundation said.
The program will be free of charge and participants will be accompanied by an interpreter, the foundation said. The organizers cover all costs, including flight tickets, food, accommodation and travel insurance, the foundation said.
It is being organized by the foundation's "Ama Museum," which is dedicated to preserving the stories of former Taiwanese comfort women, and Masan Changwon Jinhae Civil Assembly for Japanese Military Sexual Slaves, a South Korean group dedicated to advocating for comfort women, the foundation said.
Those interested in the program are required to submit a self introduction, a study plan and an article either on their thoughts after visiting "Ama Museum," or on the issue of comfort women and sexual violence, by June 9. The foundation will announce the finalists by the end of June.
The program, the first of its kind, was initiated by the South Korean group, which is seeking to help Taiwanese and South Korean youth learn more about the issue of comfort women, the foundation said.
It is estimated that the Japanese Imperial Army forced over 200,000 women into sexual slavery throughout Asia, including in Taiwan, China, South Korea and the Philippines, during World War II.
Since 1992, the foundation has worked to help comfort women cope with their mental anguish, while seeking justice and compensation from Japan. It has also documented the women's stories.
More than 2,000 Taiwanese women were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II and only two who have spoken openly about their suffering are still alive, according to the foundation.
The "Ama Museum," the first in Taiwan dedicated to "comfort women," opened in December 2016.
