Aotearoa New Zealand Statue of Peace 뉴질랜드 평화의 소녀상 추진위원회

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Aotearoa New Zealand Statue of Peace 뉴질랜드 평화의 소녀상 추진위원회

We are a grassroots group standing against gender-based violence of the past, present and future.

We're public health specialists, environmental workers, academics, small business owners, and parents; ordinary people who call both Korea and Aotearoa home.

04/09/2026

We are so humbled and grateful to have spent two days at the Kaimahi Toah-nnest conference this year. It brought together so many people from across the motu doing incredible mahi to reduce and heal s*xual harm in our communities. It's never easy dealing with such heavy topics, but as community coming together over a shared kaupapa, there was so much courage, vulnerability, hope, wisdom and mana shared.

We're especially grateful to everyone who took the time to come over to our stall and hear about our Statue and our survivor grandmothers, those who could relate to their stories and those who urged us to keep fighting for them and fighting to bring the Statue to Aotearoa.

We will take your support with us as we move forward with our mahi supporting the survivors of Japanese military s*xual slavery and hope to continue to be a part of this community and vital kaupapa.

14/08/2026

Today is the International Memorial Day for Japanese Military “Comfort Women” which marks the anniversary of Kim Hak-soon's first public testimony as a survivor of Japanese military s*xual slavery.

Coming forward as a survivor is a daunting task even today, and her courage and conviction are an guiding light for all who seek justice in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.

The many other survivors that came after Kim Hak-soon also carried the movement for justice forward, and continue to give courage to survivors around the world today, including at sites of ongoing conflict-related s*xual violence.

We remember their courage and all of us within this movement are inspired by their lives every day.

May their legacy of seeking peace, justice and gender equity continue to echo through our world and bring strength to those who need it 🙏

08/08/2026

It was an honour to attend the celebration marking 10 years of the Statue of Peace in Sydney. And to witness firsthand the power of the Statue in transforming space and building community.

Having recently tried to bring the Statue to Tāmaki Makaurau and faced the powerful opposition of those who wish to silence the voices of the survivors, we know first hand that ten years is an amazing achievement and a testament to the time and care of a whole community.

For us in Aotearoa, it is an opportunity to thank our friends in Sydney for the work they have done to bring the issue of justice for the survivors of Japanese military s*xual slavery to the region. We hope to continue to follow their lead and work together to further this cause and to contribute to building peace and gender equity across the many communities we share.

05/06/2026

News from Korea II:
The Kim Bok-dong Peace Prize Ceremony and Global Symposium took place at the Korean National Assembly yesterday.

It was inspiring to share the space with co-prize recipient Shin Sugok and also witness the work of the other co-prize winner, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights.

We were also invited to participate in the Global Symposium alongside leaders in the movement supporting survivors of Japanese military s*xual slavery: Yoon Mee-Hyang, Yang Ching-ja and Kyoko Ono, Ugandan survivor and activist Sylvia Acan, and BDS Korea activist Dung Ya-ping.

We shared some of our thinking about how being a settlers community in Aotearoa shapes our local activism and how we see our work in the context of gendered colonial violence.

The symposium ended with a joint statement that extended our solidarity to Palestine and condemned the ongoing war crimes being committed by Israel. It was just such an honour to be in such a space of solidarity and amongst those with a lifetime of peace and human rights activism.

김복동100세기념사업추진위원회
김복동의 희망

03/06/2026

News from Korea:
Yesterday, some of our members had the honour of speaking at the 1755th Wednesday Demonstration in Seoul. Alongside Sylvia Acan - conflict-related s*xual violence survivor and Founder and Director of Golden Women Vision in Uganda, as well as activists supporting justice for the survivors of Japanese military s*xual slavery from Japan, the US and around Korea, we were able to give participants an update on our mahi, and highlight the broad and staunch solidarities we are building in Aotearoa.

It was a daunting and humbling experience to speak on the stage at many survivors of Japanese military s*xual slavery have stood, and an opportunity to confirm our dedication to carrying their work forward to the next generation 🦋

31/05/2026

We are incredibly grateful to have received this message of solidarity from Yang Ching Ja, a renowned Japan-based Korean women’s rights activist and joint representative of Japan Nationwide Action for the Resolution of the Japanese Military “Comfort Women."

Although we are still working towards historical justice, including through public art such as the Statue of Peace, we are heartened by the international survivor-centered movement for justice for the survivors of Japanese military s*xual slavery.

Thank you so much for your continued work over the decades from Japan, championing justice for survivors of Japanese military s*xual slavery. Your dedication and support means the world to us 💛

“My name is Yang Ching Ja, an activist in Japan. Although the Japanese government continues to impede the establishment of Statute of Peace, we, Japan’s peaceful citizens, are rooting for its success. Here I share a message of solidarity from the citizens of Japan. [Collectively] Go New Zealand! Go New Zealand!”

29/04/2026

Devonport-Takapuna 로칼보드의 4:2 코리안 가든 내 평화의 소녀상 설치 불허 결정에 대해 깊은 유감을 표합니다. 소녀상을 기다리던 많은 주민분들에게 실망 안아준 결과 뿐만아니라 모든 젠더와 분쟁중 폭력 생존자들에게 2차 피해가 우려되는 결정입니다.

지금은 어두운 시절을 보내고 있지만, 저희의 의지는 꺾이지 않았습니다. 뉴질랜드에 살고있는 공동체의 일원으로서, 할머니들의 뜻을 이어가고 일본군 성노예제 문제의 정의로운 해결을 위해 계속 노력하겠습니다.

김복동 할머니 100세 생신인 오늘, 또다시 희망을 잡고 살기를 다짐합니다.

일본 정부의 반대와 영향력이 생존자들의 목소리를 막을수 없도록, 우리의 작지만 강인한 외침은 계속됩니다.

27/04/2026

We are disappointed to share that the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board has voted to decline installation the Statue of Peace in the Korean Garden. This is a loss for our local community and for upholding survivor voices.

We are steadfast in our commitment to stand with survivors of gender-based and conflict-related violence, and carrying on the legacy of the grandmothers.

This decision not to honour civilian casualties of war so soon after ANZAC day cuts particularly deeply. However, we will continue to work towards a future where these justice and remembrance activities requested by the survivors are welcomed rather than oppressed by powerful interests.

Arohanui and thank you for your support, we will keep going and hope you will walk with us!

22/04/2026

What are Devonport-Takapuna locals saying about the Statue?

We are so grateful for and inspired by the submissions in support of the Aotearoa Statue of Peace that have been collated through the public consultation. Despite powerful overseas opposition, the supportive voices of Devonport-Takapuna locals have been so encouraging to read. With only a few days until the local board's final decision on the 28th of April, we hope we will be able to honour these voices and welcome the Statue to the Korean Garden.

We have had many people asking how they can help our campaign, you can:

1. Share this and our other posts widely

2. Sign our open letter (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScUraN04Xf449FFGXFHVEpJ7zyOOXhuxGZWNIwjbFE1WH1kWw/viewform)

3. Send us a DM if you want to get more involved in the campaign

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“This statue [...] embod[ies] a commitment to peace: ensuring that violence against women in conflict is never repeated anywhere in the world”

- Devonport-Takapuna Local Board resident

“Confronting uncomfortable historic truths is ever more important at this time.”

- Devonport-Takapuna Local Board resident

“The Statue is a symbol of peace [for the] victims of World War II. It should be memorialised not only for Koreans but also for people all over the world”

- Devonport-Takapuna Local Board resident

“As a country that proudly represents diversity,

the Statue will create a statement for the rest of the world as a sign of improvement of

humanitarian values, education of world history and represent New Zealand as a leading

advocate of world peace.”

- Devonport-Takapuna Local Board resident

“It is a great idea to set the statue in New Zealand. It represent[s] and

respect[s] human rights. New Zealand was the

first country [to legalise] the vote of women.”

- Devonport-Takapuna Local Board resident

“I will be drawn to this reserve when the statue is installed. I know the

sculptor’s work and find it exceedingly beautiful.”

- Devonport-Takapuna Local Board resident

“By presenting the historical artifact authentically, we are able to expose to New Zealand (the wider community) about war history regarding women who were exploited, marginalised and

silenced during WW2.”

- Devonport-Takapuna Local Board resident

“...in the international fight to recognise and commemorate these women and their stories, this statue is significant beyond just its historical context.”

- Devonport-Takapuna Local Board resident

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Image credit Nik Verm

19/04/2026

We are so heartened by this message of support from researcher, writer and organiser Umi Asaka. Like the civil society organisations in Japan who have been part of the movement for over thirty years, we acknowledge the many Japanese people who stand in support for the Statue of Peace and other efforts to achieve survivor-centered justice on the issue of Japanese military s*xual slavery.

Thank you Umi 🙏
We also want to raise up the work you do - disability rights advocates shine a light on the most underserved parts of our society and lead us in their vision of a world where human rights are truly honoured.

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"Kia Ora, my name is Umi. Kia Ora, my name is Tomoe. We are from Japan and we live in Ōtepoti, Dunedin. Today we want to express our strong support for Statue of Peace to be installed in Auckland, specifically in the Korean Garden at Barrys Point Reserve. In Japan, many of us don’t get to learn much about what happened during the Second World War. As an Asian migrant in Aotearoa New Zealand, I have a privilege to meet many other Asian migrants in this country and they became some of my closest friends. Some of them shared with me what Japanese military to their family and to their country [during Second World War]. It is so important that these histories are continued to talk about especially in this world where we have the genocide and war happening in front of our eyes. Now many of the women who were forced to be s*x slave for Japanese military are leaving this world. It’s so important that we continue to talk about their story and legacy that they left for us [to create gender-violence free world]. We look forward to sitting next to the statue of peace one day. Thanks for watching."

Address

Auckland

Website

http://www.statueofpeace.org.nz/

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