Early plans for comfort women statue launched in Maryland city

April 15, 2015
Glendale's comfort woman statue (Yonhap)

Glendale’s comfort woman statue (Yonhap)

A comfort women statue, the latest among many installed or planned around the United States, may be headed toward Ellicott City, Maryland.

If passed through city procedures, the memorial to commemorate sexual slaves taken by Japanese soldiers during World War II would sit inside Centennial Park, where the city’s annual Korean festival takes place.

Plans for the statue are being led by State Delegate Mark Chang.

He said the statue is, for now, in the first stages of planning and that he plans to meet soon with local leaders from Howard County and the Korean American community for discussion.

According to Chang, funding for the statue would come from both the city and through fundraising efforts.

The first comfort women statue in the U.S. was erected in Glendale, Calif., on 2013. Since then, other comfort women memorials and statues have been installed in Union City, N.J., and Southfield, Michigan. More are planned in Fullerton, Calif., and Los Angeles.