[Speech]TPNW 3MSP NGO Statement - The Voices of Korean Atomic Bomb Victims
On March 6th, an official session discussing the issue of "victim assistance" was held during the 3rd Meeting of States Parties (MSP) to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). In this session, Jin-tae Shim, the head of the Hapcheon branch of the Korean Atomic Bomb Victims Association, spoke as a civil society representative in front of state party delegates and various civil society organizations. Ha-young Park, a SPARK youth member, provided the interpretation.
Jin-tae Shim, Head of the Hapcheon Branch of the Korean Atomic Bomb Victims Association, delivering his speech.
Jin-tae Shim, Head of the Hapcheon Branch of the Korean Atomic Bomb Victims Association, delivering his speech.
I’d like to express my gratitude to everyone working towards a world without nuclear weapons.
Korean atomic bomb victims find themselves in a unique historical and political situation that requires careful consideration when it comes to victim assistance issues.
Over 70,000 Koreans were exposed to the atomic bombs dropped by the United States on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. However, even to this day, no proper investigation has been conducted to determine the true extent of the damage, and we still do not know how many Koreans were affected. Many of the Korean atomic bomb victims were also victims of forced labor during the Japanese colonial rule.
Even those who survived and returned to their hometowns lived the rest of their lives in pain, suffering from the neglect of the government, social ostracism, crushing poverty, and the aftereffects of the atomic bomb. Even now, the South Korean government continues to exclude the descendants of atomic bomb victims from special support laws and has completely ignored the voices of the victims.
As the head of the Hapcheon Branch of the Korean Atomic Bomb Victims Association, I have witnessed the indescribable pain endured by Korean victims for over 20 years.
I ask: Why must we suffer and die in this way?
It has been 80 years since the atomic bomb was dropped, yet neither the U.S. nor the Japanese government has offered an apology or provided compensation to the victims. It is unimaginable that there are victims, yet no responsible perpetrators.
I demand this with all my heart: The governments of Korea, the United States, and Japan must not only participate in an international trust fund for victim assistance but also urgently sign the TPNW.
The existence of nuclear weapons means they can be used at any time, creating more victims like us. Therefore, we, the Korean atomic bomb survivors and their descendants, will continue to oppose nuclear weapons until every single nuclear weapon on this planet is reduced to a pile of scrap metal.
I also appeal for your support and participation in the 2026 International People's Tribunal, which will hold the U.S. accountable for its illegal atomic bombings of 1945. Together, let us create a world of peace without nuclear weapons. Thank you.
On March 6th, an official session discussing the issue of "victim assistance" was held during the 3rd Meeting of States Parties (MSP) to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). In this session, Jin-tae Shim, the head of the Hapcheon branch of the Korean Atomic Bomb Victims Association, spoke as a civil society representative in front of state party delegates and various civil society organizations. Ha-young Park, a SPARK youth member, provided the interpretation.
Jin-tae Shim, Head of the Hapcheon Branch of the Korean Atomic Bomb Victims Association, delivering his speech.
Jin-tae Shim, Head of the Hapcheon Branch of the Korean Atomic Bomb Victims Association, delivering his speech.
I’d like to express my gratitude to everyone working towards a world without nuclear weapons.
Korean atomic bomb victims find themselves in a unique historical and political situation that requires careful consideration when it comes to victim assistance issues.
Over 70,000 Koreans were exposed to the atomic bombs dropped by the United States on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. However, even to this day, no proper investigation has been conducted to determine the true extent of the damage, and we still do not know how many Koreans were affected. Many of the Korean atomic bomb victims were also victims of forced labor during the Japanese colonial rule.
Even those who survived and returned to their hometowns lived the rest of their lives in pain, suffering from the neglect of the government, social ostracism, crushing poverty, and the aftereffects of the atomic bomb. Even now, the South Korean government continues to exclude the descendants of atomic bomb victims from special support laws and has completely ignored the voices of the victims.
As the head of the Hapcheon Branch of the Korean Atomic Bomb Victims Association, I have witnessed the indescribable pain endured by Korean victims for over 20 years.
I ask: Why must we suffer and die in this way?
It has been 80 years since the atomic bomb was dropped, yet neither the U.S. nor the Japanese government has offered an apology or provided compensation to the victims. It is unimaginable that there are victims, yet no responsible perpetrators.
I demand this with all my heart: The governments of Korea, the United States, and Japan must not only participate in an international trust fund for victim assistance but also urgently sign the TPNW.
The existence of nuclear weapons means they can be used at any time, creating more victims like us. Therefore, we, the Korean atomic bomb survivors and their descendants, will continue to oppose nuclear weapons until every single nuclear weapon on this planet is reduced to a pile of scrap metal.
I also appeal for your support and participation in the 2026 International People's Tribunal, which will hold the U.S. accountable for its illegal atomic bombings of 1945. Together, let us create a world of peace without nuclear weapons. Thank you.