South Korean sets himself on fire in anti-Japan 'comfort women' protest

A South Korean man in his eighties set himself on fire on Wednesday during a protest calling for Japan to apologize for forcing Korean women to work in military brothels during World War Two, days ahead of the anniversary of the end of hostilities. The self-immolation came during a regular weekly demonstration outside the Japanese embassy ahead of the Aug. 15 anniversary marking 70 years since the end of Japan's colonial occupation of the Korean peninsula. With the anniversary looming, the protest was larger than normal, with about 2,000 demonstrators, including three of the 47 known surviving Korean "comfort women", as they were euphemistically called by Japan, organizers said.