Discover the Shocking Regional Custom Truth of Korean Comfort Women!

Prepare yourself to uncover the untold stories of the Korean Comfort Women, a topic that has remained buried in the annals of history for too long. In this eye-opening article, we delve into the dark truth behind regional customs that led to the creation of comfort stations during the wartime era in Korea.

Unmasking the Regional Custom

The Korean Comfort Women were a group of women who were forced into sexual slavery during the time of the Japanese occupation in Korea. A deeply disturbing part of history, the origins and practices surrounding these comfort stations were shaped by specific regional customs and beliefs.

The Korean society, like many others, held certain traditional beliefs about the role of women. These patriarchal customs, combined with the oppressive presence of the Japanese military during this time, created a perfect storm that led to the establishment of comfort stations.

Regional Custom: Truth of Korean comfort women

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Comfort stations were essentially brothels that operated within Korean towns and cities during the wartime years. In an attempt to appease the Japanese soldiers and maintain some semblance of control, the Korean authorities reluctantly consented to the establishment of these stations.

Understanding the Role of Tradition

To truly uncover the regional customs that allowed the existence of comfort stations, we must explore the deeply ingrained traditions and beliefs that held sway over Korean society during this period.

In traditional Korean society, the virtue and purity of women were considered essential components of their identity. However, the turbulence of war and occupation forced these women into impossible situations, as preserving their honor became an increasingly distant possibility.

With regional customs pressuring women to maintain their virtue at all costs, comfort stations became a grim compromise. Authorities believed that by offering a controlled space for the release of the Japanese soldiers' physical needs, the precious honor of Korean women spared from the brutality of indiscriminate rape.

A Never-Ending Nightmare

The reality for Korean Comfort Women within the walls of these comfort stations was far from the idealized version presented by regional customs. These women were subjected to unimaginable horrors, enduring physical and emotional abuse each day.

Many comfort women were recruited against their will, tricked into believing they were taking up legitimate employment opportunities. Others were abducted or forcibly taken away from their families. The systematic dehumanization and sexual exploitation they experienced inflicted lasting scars on their lives.

Seeking Justice and Healing

For decades, the truth about the Korean Comfort Women remained shrouded in silence and shame. However, survivors and activists have fought tirelessly to shed light on these crimes against humanity, demanding recognition, justice, and reparations for the victims.

Today, the battle for acknowledgment and reconciliation continues. It is imperative that we confront the dark truths that underlie the regional customs which perpetuated the suffering of Korean Comfort Women. By acknowledging their stories and allowing their voices to be heard, we move closer to healing the wounds of the past and preventing such atrocities from happening again.

It is time to face the chilling reality of the regional customs that allowed the establishment of comfort stations during the wartime era in Korea. By exploring these deeply ingrained traditions and seeking justice for the survivors, we can both honor their experiences and work towards a future where women are valued and respected without compromise.

Regional Custom: Truth of Korean comfort women

by Baby Professor(Kindle Edition)

5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	1582 KB
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Before the Empire of Japan annexed Korea in 1910, the Joseon(朝鮮) Dynasty existed in Korea. And you may not know that Joseon national law facilitated human trafficking.

Slavery has been a common practice - called noby (奴婢) - in Korea for more than five hundred years. In the region of Joseon, slavery existed until the pro-Japanese reformation cabinet abolished it after the Japanese military occupied the Gyeongbokgung(景福宮),or the main royal palace of Joseon, in 1894 (Hankuksa, 1894b).

The average population in nobi was 30% of the whole Joseon population (Kim, 2013: 5). Joseon guaranteed human trafficking by the government organization called Jangyewon (掌隸院),the Board of Slavery, which was in charge of the registration of slave ownership, just like the registry office today issues a land registry certificate. Furthermore, the nobi was the object of trade. The Joseon government even offered a declared value for the slave trade, just like today's government announces the official value of land (Kim, 2013: 125).

There was no punishment when the owner beat or raped their nobi. Also, the status of nobi in Joseon succeeded from parent to child (Kim, 2013: 26). So, if somebody raped a female nobi, the baby from the victim would become another nobi. It, in turn, could be a way to increase the number of their nobi, their property (Jang, 2018: 321).

Also, You may not know that Joseon society cruelly violated Korean women's human rights. Joseon society forced Korean women into absolute obedience to their fathers and husbands. Their husbands held life-or-death authority over them, and the community allowed husbands corporal punishment, even murder(Jang, 2018: 275).

They regarded their wives and daughters as their possession. In some cases, such as when a family was in financial distress, Korean men sold their wives and daughters to human traffickers (Collin, 1890).

In the Empire of Japan, there was state-regulated prostitution, and the "comfort station" (慰安所) was its military version. Following, the "comfort women hunting" (慰安婦狩り) allegedly occurred from 1930 to 1945, and the colonial government of Korea was involved in recruiting comfort women.

However, from 1930 to 1945, you may not know that about 90% of the county governors in colonial Korea were native Korean. In addition, there were more than 2,470 village offices called myeon(面),the lower branch of the county office, which was in charge of the registration of residents. Also, myeon offices were the center of wartime mobilization, and you may not know that 99% of the head of the myeon offices were native Korean (Okamoto, 2010).

The pro-Japanese cabinet of Joseon abolished slavery in 1894, but the leading people of Korean society didn't respond to this Japanese-led reform. As a result, even after the Japanese annexation of Korea in 1910, the inveterate custom of human trafficking didn't die out for a long time then on.

You can easily find news reports about human trafficking cases in the colonial period of Korea.

In 1927, one father had trafficked his two daughters - his first and third - among three, and then he tried to sell the last one - his second. But the last daughter ran away from her father and requested police protection (Dong-a, 1927).

In 1930, one Korean man trafficked his daughter, but she escaped from the brothel in Manchuria at the risk of her own life. She came back home more than four hundred miles away. However, her cold-blooded father tried to traffic his daughter again, one more time (Dong-a, 1930a).

In 1939, one skillful couple of human traffickers deceived more than one hundred girls and sold them to brothels (Dong-a, 1939a).