Comfort Women

At ten, I celebrated a decade. I remember running. Scraped knees or bumps into furniture didn’t stop me. As long as whoever was “it” didn’t lay a hand on me, I was running until I felt a sharp pain from an unwelcome stitch on my side. Other than that, nothing could stop me.

At thirteen, I celebrated a milestone. I remember being confused as to why I had to, but I did. My mom said it was one of the many steps of approaching womanhood, and that I was coming of age. My friends would talk about it. I would get curious since I hadn’t experienced it before. And I realized that I wanted to see what it would be like. When I did, I was glad that I could be a part of the conversation.

At fifteen, I remember daydreaming. Thoughts of homesickness or loneliness didn’t bother me. I was full of excitement, thinking about the perks of living an independent life; one where I didn’t have to ask permission to eat fast food. 

Gye-Shim also celebrated a decade at ten. She remembered running. Scraped knees or bumps into furniture didn’t stop her. As long as the man didn’t lay a hand on her again, she was running despite the sharp pain from the stitch at her side. 

At thirteen, Gye-Shim didn’t celebrate a milestone. It was more of a nightmare. It was going to be one of the many steps in approaching womanhood. But it was also going to be a liability. It was going to make her even more vulnerable than she already was. And worst of all, it was going to make everything more painful. 

At fifteen, Gye-Shim remembers daydreaming. In the moments where she drifted in and out of consciousness, exhausted and blind from pain, she dreamt of her parents. Thoughts of homesickness and loneliness drove a deep hole into her heart and sank her stomach. Fresh tears followed the same path the dried tears left on her face. All she could think about was how warm she would feel if she were with her mother. And how joyful she would feel being scolded for eating too little. So as her back screamed in pain as the metal table dug into healing bruises, she cried for home. 

Gye-Shim did not have the luxury to live the life I have. Gye-Shim did not cry about painful period cramps. Gye-Shim did not become upset about an exam score. Gye-Shim feared for her life. Gye-Shim shook with fear every month before her menstrual cycle, for she was aware what a child would mean for her life. If she wasn’t afraid for her life she feared for the lives of her friends. Gye-Shim was a comfort woman, and she was forced to live her life crippled by fear. 

How relieved must she have felt? How safe must she have felt as the “Me Too” movement rose globally. How light must her heart have felt knowing that after nearly a century after the fact, her story was going to be heard. How upset and distressed must she have felt, knowing that those responsible refused to acknowledge their actions, dismissing the trauma they went through as children to adolescence. 

When the world was in shambles during World War II, countless Asian, especially Korean, women were sexually violated by Japanese soldiers. Their title “comfort women” comes from the apparent comfort they provided male soldiers through non-consensual sexual intercourse. They were pulled away from their families, lured by the Japanese in hopes of finding a high-paying job to support said families. Testimonies from comfort women revealed that at a prepubescent age, girls were raped by more than six men a day; the aftermath leaving them crippling in pain to the point where they could not walk. When actress Alyssa Milano shared that Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein had sexually assaulted her, the “Me Too” movement began its rise in 2018. Many other women began to speak up and advocate for justice, prompting comfort women, now elderly, to share what had happened a hundred years ago. It is crucial for these women to receive justice–more so since the Japanese government is refusing to take responsibility for their military’s actions, depriving these women from the apology they deserve. As the next generation, we have more than enough resources to continue to advocate for these women. No matter how sensitive of a topic it may be to Japan, it cannot be more important than providing repercussions for these victims. 
 

Sources
Blakemore, Erin. “The Brutal History of Japan’s ‘Comfort Women’ ”. History, 21 July 2019, https://www.history.com/news/comfort-women-japan-military-brothels-korea 

Felden, Esther. “Former Comfort Woman Tells Uncomforting Story: DW: 02.09.2013.” DW.COM, Deutsche Welle, 9 Feb. 2013, www.dw.com/en/former-comfort-woman-tells-uncomforting-story/a-17060384. 
​

*Gye-Shim is a character based on the testimonies of real Korean comfort women*