The Statue of Peace was first erected in Seoul to urge the Japanese government to apologize to and honour the victims. However, it has since become a site of representational battles among different parties. This proposal was realized on 14 December , when the bronze statue was installed in front of the embassy. Japan has repeatedly demanded that the statue be removed, but Seoul and especially the victims have rejected such demands, consistently arguing that the Japanese government has never officially admitted the direct involvement of its military in the comfort women issue.
Until now in South Korea, since the Statue of Peace has not been designated as a public sculpture, it has been difficult to prevent the statue from being damaged. On 30 June , the civil congress of the city of Busan created a legal foundation to protect the statue by passing the relevant ordinance.
According to the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs , in , South Korea and Japan reached an agreement to settle the comfort women issue. As a part of this agreement, South Korea acknowledged the fact that Japan was concerned about the statue in front of the embassy of Japan in Seoul and committed to solve the issue in an appropriate manner.
Afterward, a second statue was erected in Busan. Japan then recalled two diplomats from South Korea and halted high-level talks. In July , the city council in Aurora, Colorado voted against a proposal for a Statue of Peace to be installed on public property. After the vote, city staff wrote "The memorials have attracted a wide range of community response including peaceful and antagonistic free speech events, vandalism, Asian hate , and legal action requesting removal".
The letter also states, "The City of Aurora is the most culturally diverse community in Colorado with many Asian citizens. The memorial represents an unresolved dispute between South Korea and Japan. Based on this information the Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Department believes the memorial placement on city-owned property is not a compatible use". The issue of comfort women and the Statue of Peace has inspired other such monuments to be built in Seoul and in cities around the world with sizeable Korean populations.
