Essay on Korean Comfort Women - 2590 Words

Comfort women, or ianfu as they are called in Korean, are females who were forced sex slaves for the Japanese Imperial Army (Chunghee). Some of the women were dragged off with physical force as their families wept, while others were actually sold to the army by their destitute families (Watanabe). Still other were officially drafted by the Japanese Imperial Army and believed they would be factory workers or nurses (Hwang in Schellstede 4). Some Korean village leaders were ordered to send young women to participate in important business for the Imperial Army (Watanabe). Many Japanese soldiers referred to comfort women as teishintai, which means â€Å"volunteer corps,† so those women who thought they would be working in a factory would not†¦show more content†¦The majority of Korean women seem to have come from lower-class worker and farmer families. Korean and other Asian women were assigned to lower-ranking soldiers, while Japanese and European women were reserved for higher-ranking officers (Watanabe). This obviously portrays the condescending attitude the Japanese had toward Koreans. Japanese military leaders formulated the concept of comfort women in order to stop soldiers from committing sexual violence towards women they might encounter. Japanese Lieutenant-General Okamura Yasuji proposed that comfort women should be shipped to Shanghai to solve the problem of 223 rapes reportedly committed by troops there (Kim). One former comfort woman reported that in some places, soldiers were so desperate for some kind of outlet for their sexual desires that they had intercourse with dogs (Kim in Schellstede 32). It is estimated that over 125 million forced sexual acts took place between Japanese soldiers and comfort women in the span of only five years (Kim). The Japanese military made soldiers pay to have sex with comfort women. The prices were as follows: 1.50 yen for privates, 2 yen for non-commissioned officers, 2.50 yen for junior officers, and 3 yen for senior officers (Hicks 19). Concerned for the health of their soldiers, Japanese military leaders provided c ondoms to thwart the spread of any sexually transmitted diseases; however, these condoms were oftenShow MoreRelatedJapanese Comfort Women1493 Words   |  6 PagesJapanese Comfort Women It is estimated that between one and two hundred thousand female sex slaves were forced to deliver sexual services to Japanese soldiers, both before and during World War II. These women were known as comfort women and the Imperial Conference, which was composed of the emperor, representatives from the armed forces and the main Cabinet ministers, approved their use by Japanese soldiers. (Walkom) The term comfort women refers to the victims of a premeditated systematic planRead MorePreventing Sexual Diseases During World War I1372 Words   |  6 Pagesbroke, and it healed twists out of shape. Although comfort women regularly got medical examinations for the purpose of preventing sexual diseases, they could not get any further treatments for other health issues, such as broken bones, injuries from repeated abuse, and sexual intercourse. For these reasons, Japan has caused comfort women serious difficulties along with the miserable suffering from solemn physical injuries. As for comfort women, they had psychological injuries as well, and amongRead More Yuki Tanakas Japans Comfort Women Essay examples1721 Words   |  7 PagesYuki Tanakas Japans Comfort Women This paper is a review of the book Japan’s Comfort Women-Sexual slavery and prostitution during WWII and the US occupation by Yuki Tanaka. This book was published in 2002 by Routledge. The book deals with the thousands of Japanese, Korean, Chinese and other Asian and European women who were victims of organized sexual violence and prostitution by means of â€Å"comfort stations† setup by the Japanese military during World War II.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As we first get intoRead MoreMilitary Prostitution During Japan s Imperial Rule864 Words   |  4 Pagesin it during their reign. For roughly 50 years’ comfort women were the silent victims of war. During the 1990’s and 2000’s many Korean comfort women came into the lime light by opening up about their experiences in the comfort system. The Feminist Studies journal published Na Young Lee’s scholarly work, â€Å"The Construction of Military Prostitution in South Korea during the U.S. Military Rule, 1945-1948†, in which the author argues the view held by Korean feminist NGO’s in light to the Untied States responsibilityRead MoreEssay on Asian Women in the Eyes of Americans2297 Words   |  10 Pages Introduction The history of Asian women has many facets. I am about to touch on two key monumental points over a sixty year span that have shaped the views of Asian women in the eyes of Americans. As a brief overview, from as early as the 1940s, Asian women were recruited to serve their soldiers during World War II as sex slaves. Forty years later, the dawning of the 1980s brought about the desire of Asian women into American households and sparked the mail order bride phenomenonRead MoreThe Legacy Of Rape, By Nancy Toping Bazins And Jane Harmovit Lauters Philosophy Of Domination1502 Words   |  7 PagesDisciplinary Blindness: Women, War and Rape in the International Politics of Security†. Koo says, â€Å"the nation, the state, allies, and enemies intersect with gendered identities†¦sexual enslavement is politicized violence against women’s bodies that is both state-sanctioned and premeditated† in effect, during war time there is an intersection of gender wi th religion, ethnicity, nationality and anything else that represents the opposing side as an â€Å"other†. In this sense an assault on the women of a nation isRead MoreJapan s Foreign Policy During The End Of The Twentieth And Early Twentieth Century Essay1199 Words   |  5 Pagesand their families. It was only 71 years ago the Koreans and Chinese were liberated from the Japanese by the Allies. The countries could also still felt the Japanese brutalization and aggression in its country. A lot of the Japanese policies were oppressive and voracious causing the local population in its country to suffer and died. Women and young girls were conscripted to provide sex services to the Japanese army and they were called as comfort women. A lot of them suffered tremendous mental andRead MoreChina Vs Jap More Than A Century Of Conflict1381 Words   |  6 Pagesitself to trade with Japan and proclaim independence from China. Japanese reformers attempted to overthrow the Korean gover nment in 1884. Chinese troops rescued the king killing several Japanese guards in the process. War was evaded between the two countries by signing of the Li- Ito convention, both countries had to withdraw troops from Korea. In 1894, Kim Ok-kyun, a pro-Japanese Korean leader of the 1884 rebellion, was invited to Shanghai and assassinated. His body was then placed aboard a ChineseRead MoreWritten by Margaret K. Pai, the Dreams of Two Yi-min narrates the story of her Korean American700 Words   |  3 PagesWritten by Margaret K. Pai, the Dreams of Two Yi-min narrates the story of her Korean American family with the main focus on the life journeys of her father and mother, Do In Kwon and Hee Kyung Lee. Much like the majority of the pre-World War II immigrants, the author’s family is marked and characterized by the common perception of the â€Å"typical† Asian immigrant status in the early 20th century: low class, lack of English speaking ability, lack of transferable educ ation and skills, and lack of knowledgeRead More: Discuss the History of Korea and Its Impact on Koreas Culture, Politics and Business.1397 Words   |  6 Pagesinto two states. Korean civilization is one of the oldest ancient civilizations in world history, and Korea has the oldest history in East Asia. * Gojoseon (National foundation in BC 2333 ) The first Korean kingdom Gojoseon was established on a flourishing bronze culture in BC 2333 by Dangun who was the legendary founder of Gojeseon and people believed he was the grandson of heaven (Edward 2005). It was centered in the basins of Liao (China) and Northern part of the Korean Peninsula. Politics