Civic groups staged a rally in Germany, marking the 30th anniversary of the first public testimony given by a victim of Japan's sexual enslavement of women during World War Two.

On August 14, 1991, Korean victim Kim Hak-sun first spoke out against Japan's wartime atrocities, leading to additional testimonies by hundreds of others from countries throughout Asia and in the Netherlands.

Around 50 people representing the groups, including Korea Verband, gathered in Berlin on Saturday, accusing Japan of attempting to conceal the victims' testimonies and mislead the public.

The groups called for continued efforts to break the silence, saying Tokyo has yet to give an appropriate apology or compensate the victims.