Yet ever since the IMF crisis South Korea has been focussed on its own internal problems and reports from North Korea are no longer front page news. Indeed, for over a year now my best source of information about the situation in the north has been through articles in the United Church Observer. One of the challenges for churches all over the world as we approach this new millennium is, on the one hand, to keep abreast of change and respond to emerging needs and on the other hand, to develop the long term commitment and vision that is necessary to maintain a sense of direction even when the ground is constantly shifting under our feet. One of the things that my time in Korea has taught me is that it is important to know with whom you stand. Every Wednesday at noon, a small group of committed demonstrators gathers in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul to demand that the Japanese government apologize and give appropriate compensation to the women who were forced into military sexual slavery during WW2.
Time is certainly on the side of the Japanese government.
The women are elderly now and many have already died. It will not be long before there is no one left to compensate. The rapid rate of change and the fleeting nature of world attention is also on the side of the Japanese government. There will always be more immediate crises and more sensational issues which will shift the attention and energy of possible supporters. In spite of this, not a single Wednesday has been missed since the demonstrations started in the early 90's.