Friday

67. Summary: Korea Research

I interviewed 9 Korean "Comfort Women" at Nanumeh-Jip ("The House of Sharing"), and at Shim Toh ("A resting place"). A majority of all "Comfort Women" were Korean, and most did not survive the war and harsh treatment. Of those who did survive, most kept the events a secret because it would be considered shameful and reflect badly on their families. Despite this, over 250 Korean "Comfort Women" came out in the 1990's. Now aged in their 80's and 90's, most of them are in poor health and only 99 surviving women remain.

In order to understand this complicated issue better, I had meetings with many activists, sociologists, historians, and scholars. Among those I interviewed were Professor Jung Oak Yun, and Professor Hyo Chae Lee who are founding and central figures working to bring the "Comfort Women" issue to international attention, and Won Soon Park, Social Designer and Executive Director of The Hope Institute, working for institutional change and social justice in Korea.

I attended a Symposium for the 10th Anniversary of the Comfort Women Museum at Nanumeh-Jip. Historians and activists from Korea, Japan, and U.S.A. gathered to discuss strategies on the "Comfort Women" issue now that United States House of Representatives House Resolution 121 has been passed.

I also visited "The Museum of Japanese Imperial Army's Sexual Slavery" and "The Center for Peace and Human Rights," "The Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Sexual Slavery by Japan," and "War & Women's Rights Museum."

To know more about the Korean art scene I met with Yu Yeon Kim  curator, Yoon-kyung Kwon curator at Seoul Auction, Min Seok Seo curator at Seoul Arts Center, and Bowon Chung Public Art sculptor.

http://www.nanum.org/eng/
www.makehope.org
http://www.womenandwar.net/english/index.php

Korea - from Google Maps

Every Wednesday people, including Korean "comfort women," have gathered since 1992 to protest for justice for these women.


Interviewing Korean "Comfort Women"

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