Unraveling the ‘Comfort Women’ Issue

Beyond the Headlines

*Trigger Warning: this episode includes content dealing with upsetting, sensitive and potentially triggering themes including sexual violence, torture, and death.*

The Japanese Military Sexual Slavery, known as the “Comfort women” history refers to the system of sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese government during World War II. From 1931 and 1945, between 50,000 and 200,000 girls and women across the Asia Pacific, were forced into sexual servitude where they were raped and abused by the Japanese military. Despite the history having gained international attention as survivors came forward to share their stories, it remains largely unknown and silenced. Regardless, survivors and human rights activists have fought to raise awareness and have demanded appropriate redress, aiming not only for future generations to be accurately educated about this dark history, but also so that this crime against humanity is not repeated.

In the first segment, Woohee Kim will provide the audience with a comprehensive understanding of the “comfort women” issue, exploring its historical background during World War II and addressing the current challenges faced by the survivors.

We then delve into what it means to appropriately address this issue and promote reconciliation. In the second segment, Phyllis Kim also explores the significance of the Peace monuments in raising awareness around the 'comfort women' issue and provides insights into the activist journey of Grandmother Lee Yong-Soo.

We finish with Miki Dezaki, who helps us in debunking the 'comfort women' issue being dismissed as solely a political and emotional topic. He explores the significance of the silencing and denialism of such history and how we can overcome these challenges and achieve resolution and reconciliation through informed and respectful discourse.

Further Resources:

A compiled list of resources on the Japanese Military Sexual Slavery issue: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mFfRsEkUBMXXL9SjVxxJDamgU3XbcRGHcCmZkrKBKA4/edit?usp=sharing

CARE (Comfort Women Action) and their work: https://comfortwomenaction.org/

Women’s Active Museum on War and Peace: https://wam-peace.org/en/

Miki’s film, Shusenjo: The Main Battleground of the Comfort Women Issue: https://www.amazon.com/Shusenjo-Comfort-Women-Japans-History/dp/B08SHLLN9T

Shusenjo: The Main Battleground of Comfort Women IssueApple TVhttps://tv.apple.com › movie › shusenjo-the-main-battl…

For insights into the movement: Embodied Reckonings: “Comfort Women," Performance, and Transpacific Redress by Elizabeth Son

For insights into the history: Comfort Women: Sexual Slavery in the Japanese Military during World War II by Yoshimi Yoshiaki

For survivors’ testimonies: Stories That Make History: The Experience and Memories of the Japanese Military Comfort Girls-Women