– S. Korean ‘comfort women’ for US military sue state for forced prostitution (RT,June 29, 2014):
A group of South Korean former “comfort women”, who worked in state-controlled brothels for the US military after the 1953 Korean War, has filed a suit demanding compensation from the authorities for forced prostitution.
It’s the first time that such legal action has been taken regarding the brothels, or “special areas” that were sanctioned by the South Korean government, The Asahi Shimbun media outlet reported.
The women are seeking 10 million won ($9,850) for being made to serve as “US military comfort women” after the Korean War ended in 1953.
The suit, filed on June 25, stated that the South Korean authorities subjugated the women and forced them to provide sex, violating their human rights.
Moreover, the group said that they had been obliged to go through medical check-ups for sexually transmitted diseases.
The plaintiffs also urged the authorities to issue an official apology, revealing the true historical facts.
The Korean War lasted from 1950 till 1953 and split the country in two. During the war, the US intervened as South Korea’s ally, while China were allies of the North.
Throughout the war, UN and South Korean comfort stations operated on the frontline.
However, even after hostilities had ended, between the 1950s and 1960s, some 60 percent of all South Korean prostitutes worked near US military camps.
In 1960, two lawmakers in the South Korean National Assembly called on the country’s leadership to train a supply of prostitutes for the allied military, to prevent them from spending their money in Japan instead.
Good for them. If I had an international law degree, I would help.
Talk about hypocrisy.
The ｓｔａｔｕｅ of Korean ｃｏｍｆｏｒｔ woman ｗａｓ ｂｕｉｌｔ in Gｌｅｎｄａｌｅ in US ｂｙ Korean ｐｅｏｐｌｅ’ｓ ｉｌｌ ｗｉｌｌｅｄ ｆａｋｅ ｈｉｓｔｏｒｙ ｊｕｓｔ ｔｏ ｍａｋｅ Japanese image
ｗｏｒｓｅｎ．Korean ｐｅｏｐｌｅ ｉｎｓｉｓｔｓ ｏｎ ｔｈａｔ ｔｈｅ Korean ｃｏｍｆｏｒｔ ｗｏｍｅｎ
were ｓｅｘ ｓｌａｖｅｓ ｆｏｒｃｅｄ ｂｙ Japanese ａｒｍｙ，ｂｕｔ ａｃｔｕａｌｌｙ ｎｏｔ ａｔ ａｌｌ．
They ｗｅｒｅ ｖｏｌｕｎｔｅｅｒ ｐｒｏｓｔｉｔｕｅｓ ｅａｒｎｉｎｇ ３００～７００ｙｅｎ ｉｎ ａ ｍｏｎｔｈ，
ｏｎ ｔｈｅ ｏｔｈｅｒ ｈａｎｄ，Japanese soldiers ｗｅｒｅ ｇｅｔｔｉｎｇ ５～１５ｙｅｎ ｉｎ ａ
ｍｏｎｔｈ ａｓ ａ ｓａｌａｒｙ．
According ｔｏ ｕｓ ａｒｍｙ ｓｕｒｖｅｙ ｏｆ Korean ｃｏｍｆｏｒｔ ｗｏｍｅｎ in Burma
ｉｎ １９４４，ｔｈｅｙ ｆｏｕｎｄ ｔｈａｔ Koprean ｃｏｍｆｏｒｔ ｗｏｍｅｎ ｅｎｊｏｙｅｄ ｔｈｅｉｒ ｄａｉｌｙｌｉｆｅ ｍａｋｉｎｇ ａ ｌｏｔ ｏｆ ｍｏｎｅｙ，ｗｉｔｈ ｆｒｅｅｄｏｍ ｏｆ ｓｈｏｐｐｉｎｇ，ｇｏｉｎｇ ｔｏ
ｐｉｃｎｉｃｓ ｗｉｔｈ Jａｐａｎｅｓｅ ｓｏｌｄｉｅｒｓ，ａｌｓｏ ｔｈｅ ｒｉｇｈｔ ｔｏ ｓｅｎｄ ｔｈｉｅｒ ｍｏｎｅｙ
ｔｏ ｔｈｅｉｒ ｆａｍｉｌｉｅｓ ｉｎ Korea．
Korean ｐｅｏｐｌｅ ｂｕｉｌｄ ｔｈｅ ｓｔａｔｕｅ ｏｆ ｃｏｍｆｏｒｔ ｗｏｍｅｎ ｈｅｒｅ ａｎｄ ｔｈｅｒｅ
ｉｎ ｔｈｅ ｗｏｒｌｄ，ｔｈｅｙ ｓｈｏｕｌｄ build ｔｈｅ ｓｔａｔｕｅ ｏｆ Korean ｃｏｍｆｏｒｔ ｗｏｍｅｎｓｅｒｖｅｄ ｆｏｒ US ａｒｍｙ ｆｏｒｃｅｄ ｂｙ Korean ｇｏｖｅｒｎｍｅｎｔ ｏｆ Pｒｅｓｉｄｅｎｔ， Pak Chung Hee ｉｎ ａ ｓａｍｅ ｍａｎｎｅｒ．
Korean ｐｒｅｓｉｄｎｔ，Park Geun Hye，ｓｈｏｕｌｄ ｄｏ ｔｈａｔ ｆｏｒ ｐｒａｉｓｉｎｇ ｈｅｒ
ｆａｔｈｅｒ，President，Park Chung Hee’ｓ ｇｒｅａｔ ｕｎｄｅｒｔａｋｉｎｇｓ，ｂｅｃａｓｕｅ ａｌｍｏｓｔ
１０，０００ ｏｆ Korean ｃｏｍｆｏｒｔ ｗｏｍｅｎ ｆｏｒｃｅｄ ｂｙ Korean ｇｏｖｅｒｎｍｅｎｔ
ｅａｒｎｅｄ lots ｏｆ US dollars ｆｏｒ Korea．
Dear ｐｒｅｓｉｄｅｎｔ，Park Geun Hye
There ｉｓ ａｎ ｏｌｄ ｓａｙｉｎｇ ｔｈａｔ Don’ｔ ｔａｌｋ ｓｏｍｅｏｎｅ ｉｎ ｈｉｓ ｂａｃｋ．”
This ａｔｔｉｔｕｄｅ ｉｓ ｍｏｓｔ ｄｉｓｌｉｋｅｄ ａｎｄ ｌｏｏｋｅｄ ｄｏｗｎ ｏｎ ｉｎ ｔｈｅ ｗｅｓｔ．
This ｉｓ ａ ｍｅａｎ ａｃｔｉｏｎ．
Do ｎｏｔ ｔｒｙ ｔｏ ｋｅｅｐ ｄamaging Korea ａｎｄ ａｌｓｏ Korean ｐｅｏｐｌｅ
ａｎｙ ｍｏｒｅ．
JJ