Mimizuka (Ear Mound)

Emergence of Contestation: 1597

The Mimizuka memorial can serve as an example of a transformative mnemonic site, where meaning and memory of conflict is continuously reshaped through time. The representations of the monument and the collective memories associated with it shift between communities, generating narratives ranging from reproach to remembrance, and even reconciliation, all the while fueling discussion on how memorialisation is handled in today's society.

Kyoto's Mimizuka: Transformation and Contestation Across Four Centuries - Daniel Milne

Comfort Women Statue (Seoul)

Emergence of Contestation: 1991, 2011

The Statue of Peace serves as a memorial to young Korean women who became victims of the Japanese wartime military prostitution system. The physical placement of the Statue is Seoul opposite the Japanese embassy was highly symbolic of the victims' waiting for a full and formal apology. However, its reach and the political pressure it could exert were amplified through digital reproduction, which ultimately allowed for a global debate to be kindled. Understanding the Statue in the context of visual politics allows for understanding its rise as a symbol of resistance.

Visualising Korea: The Politics of the Statue of Peace - David Chapman