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True Stories of the Korean Comfort Women

From the back cover:

Between 100,000 and 200,000 women were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military between the early 1930s and 1945. Yet successive post-war Japanese governments have refused to acknowledge what took place and no reparations have been made to the mainly Korean victims. The international community, in awe of Japan’s economic influence and keen to maintain the balance of power in Asia, has consistently failed to put pressure on the Japanese authorities for atonement.

Recent developments in human rights and women’s rights in Korea have led to the surviving Comfort Women to overcome traditional taboos of chastity, defilement and shame to speak out for the first time. Their testimonies portray the coercion, violence, abduction, rape and false imprisonment they suffered at the hands of the Japanese military. Some women were as young as twelves years old when their ordeal began.

The Korean Comfort Women are now suing the Japanese government for 20 million yen in reparation. Their powerful stories and their fight for recognition and justice are attracting attention and support throughout the world.

The Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan was formed in 1990 to campaign for recognition and reparation for the surviving Comfort Women. Keith Howard is lecturer in Korean Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.

Table of contents

A Korean Tragedy | Keith Howard
Korean Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan | Chin Sung Chung
Testimonies by Kim Haksun | Kim Tokchin | Yi Yongsuk | Ha Sunnyo | Oh Omok | Hwang Kumju | Mun Pilgi | Yi Yongsu | Yi Okpun | Mun Okchu | Yi Sunok | Yi Sangok | Yi Tungnam | Yi Yongnyo | Kim Taeson | Pak Sunae | Choe Myongsun | Kang Tokkyong | Yun Turi
Military Sexual Slavery by Japan and Issues in Law | Etsuro Totsuka

LKL says:

To be taken a bit at a time – this makes for very uncomfortable, but important, reading.

LKL rating: score-2score-2score-2score-1score-0. Read our review of this book here.

Entry on Goodreads.com here.

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