Tae-jae Lee: Testimony at the Side Event of the 3rd MSP of the TPNW
From March 3rd to 7th, the 3rd Meeting of States Parties (MSP) to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) took place. During the conference, alongside the official meetings with government delegations from state parties, numerous side events were held by anti-nuclear peace organizations from various countries.
On March 4th (Tuesday), the International Organizing Committee hosted a side event on the theme of a People's Tribunal at the Church Center for the United Nations. The event, which was attended by around 60 participants, featured testimonies from victims participating as plaintiffs in the tribunal. Discussions also focused on promoting the 2026 People's Tribunal and strategies for organizing participant involvement.
Below is the testimony of one of the plaintiffs, Tae-jae Lee.
Hi, How are you. My name is Lee Tae-jae, a second-generation survivor of the atomic bombing and the president of the Korean Atomic Bomb Victims Descendants Association.
My father was born in 1927 in Kokura, Japan, and was forcibly mobilized to work at the Mitsubishi factory in Nagasaki. After the atomic bombing, he was again mobilized for cleanup work in Nagasaki, where he was exposed to residual radiation.
After returning to Korea, he suffered from skin irritations, asthma, and a persistent cough for the rest of his life. My father fought for the rights of Korean a-bomb victims, saying, ‘An a-bomb victim is always a victim, no matter where they are.’ He filed a lawsuit against the Japanese government, seeking to ensure that victims living outside Japan could receive medical assistance. In 2006, he finally won his case at Japan’s Supreme Court, but less than a month after his victory, my father passed away due to his lung issues.
I had been frail since childhood and could not eat oily or heavily seasoned foods. I often experienced nosebleeds so severe that I couldn’t wash my face, and I suffered from severe anemia. It wasn’t until I married and had children that my father finally revealed that he was a victim of the atomic bomb. At that time, a-bomb victims in Korea were reluctant to disclose their exposure due to social stigma and concerns about hereditary effects. This remains true even today.
In 2005, I was diagnosed with stomach cancer and underwent surgery to remove three-quarters of my stomach. After enduring more than three years of suffering, I recovered, but my immune system was weakened, and I continue to live with persistent fatigue, digestive issues, and joint pains.
The victims continue to suffer and die in pain to this date, yet the perpetrators have not even offered a single word of apology or compensation. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing.
The US, which is responsible for the 1945 atomic bombing, must apologize to the victims and provide compensation. Furthermore, the US must join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) to prevent the use of nuclear weapons in the future.
The International People’s Tribunal on the Atomic Bomb that we are currently organizing seeks to hold the US, the perpetrator, accountable for its actions, demanding recognition of responsibility, an apology, and compensation. It is time to confront the serious issues faced by the second, third, and fourth generation victims, who continue to live in the pain originated from the atomic bombs. I have one demand. As the perpetrator of the atomic bombings, The US must offer an apology and provide compensation!
Tae-jae Lee: Testimony at the Side Event of the 3rd MSP of the TPNW
From March 3rd to 7th, the 3rd Meeting of States Parties (MSP) to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) took place. During the conference, alongside the official meetings with government delegations from state parties, numerous side events were held by anti-nuclear peace organizations from various countries.
On March 4th (Tuesday), the International Organizing Committee hosted a side event on the theme of a People's Tribunal at the Church Center for the United Nations. The event, which was attended by around 60 participants, featured testimonies from victims participating as plaintiffs in the tribunal. Discussions also focused on promoting the 2026 People's Tribunal and strategies for organizing participant involvement.
Below is the testimony of one of the plaintiffs, Tae-jae Lee.
Hi, How are you. My name is Lee Tae-jae, a second-generation survivor of the atomic bombing and the president of the Korean Atomic Bomb Victims Descendants Association.
My father was born in 1927 in Kokura, Japan, and was forcibly mobilized to work at the Mitsubishi factory in Nagasaki. After the atomic bombing, he was again mobilized for cleanup work in Nagasaki, where he was exposed to residual radiation.
After returning to Korea, he suffered from skin irritations, asthma, and a persistent cough for the rest of his life. My father fought for the rights of Korean a-bomb victims, saying, ‘An a-bomb victim is always a victim, no matter where they are.’ He filed a lawsuit against the Japanese government, seeking to ensure that victims living outside Japan could receive medical assistance. In 2006, he finally won his case at Japan’s Supreme Court, but less than a month after his victory, my father passed away due to his lung issues.
I had been frail since childhood and could not eat oily or heavily seasoned foods. I often experienced nosebleeds so severe that I couldn’t wash my face, and I suffered from severe anemia. It wasn’t until I married and had children that my father finally revealed that he was a victim of the atomic bomb. At that time, a-bomb victims in Korea were reluctant to disclose their exposure due to social stigma and concerns about hereditary effects. This remains true even today.
In 2005, I was diagnosed with stomach cancer and underwent surgery to remove three-quarters of my stomach. After enduring more than three years of suffering, I recovered, but my immune system was weakened, and I continue to live with persistent fatigue, digestive issues, and joint pains.
The victims continue to suffer and die in pain to this date, yet the perpetrators have not even offered a single word of apology or compensation. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing.
The US, which is responsible for the 1945 atomic bombing, must apologize to the victims and provide compensation. Furthermore, the US must join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) to prevent the use of nuclear weapons in the future.
The International People’s Tribunal on the Atomic Bomb that we are currently organizing seeks to hold the US, the perpetrator, accountable for its actions, demanding recognition of responsibility, an apology, and compensation. It is time to confront the serious issues faced by the second, third, and fourth generation victims, who continue to live in the pain originated from the atomic bombs. I have one demand. As the perpetrator of the atomic bombings, The US must offer an apology and provide compensation!