Comments on: The Comfort Women of Our Time: North Korean Women Are Turning to Prostitution to Survive http://freekorea.us/2009/09/21/the-comfort-women-of-our-time-north-korean-women-are-turning-to-prostitution-to-survive/ Wed, 23 May 2012 10:34:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Frank Kim http://freekorea.us/2009/09/21/the-comfort-women-of-our-time-north-korean-women-are-turning-to-prostitution-to-survive/comment-page-1/#comment-69416 Frank Kim Sun, 25 Oct 2009 03:25:37 +0000 http://www.freekorea.us/2009/09/21/the-comfort-women-of-our-time-north-korean-women-are-turning-to-prostitution-to-survive/#comment-69416 Thanks for this post. I just wanted to point out that "comfort women" is an euphemism for enforced military sex laborer or slave. It was coined by the Japanese government and military officials, and sexual industry agents, all hoping to obscure the reality behind the term. Former sex slaves prefer that the term “military sex slaves” be used. I wrote about this here http://www.kimplicity.com/fkim/blog/2008/07/24/white-chrysanthemums/. My friend created a site dedicated to surviving military sex slaves in Korea, based on a college degree project, called White Chrysanthemums. http://www.thechrysanthemums.com/ Thanks for this post.

I just wanted to point out that “comfort women” is an euphemism for enforced military sex laborer or slave. It was coined by the Japanese government and military officials, and sexual industry agents, all hoping to obscure the reality behind the term. Former sex slaves prefer that the term “military sex slaves” be used.

I wrote about this here http://www.kimplicity.com/fkim/blog/2008/07/24/white-chrysanthemums/.

My friend created a site dedicated to surviving military sex slaves in Korea, based on a college degree project, called White Chrysanthemums. http://www.thechrysanthemums.com/

]]> By: Twitter Trackbacks for One Free Korea » The Comfort Women of Our Time: North Korean Women Are Turning to Prostitution to Survive [freekorea.us] on Topsy.com http://freekorea.us/2009/09/21/the-comfort-women-of-our-time-north-korean-women-are-turning-to-prostitution-to-survive/comment-page-1/#comment-69291 Twitter Trackbacks for One Free Korea » The Comfort Women of Our Time: North Korean Women Are Turning to Prostitution to Survive [freekorea.us] on Topsy.com Sun, 04 Oct 2009 21:21:56 +0000 http://www.freekorea.us/2009/09/21/the-comfort-women-of-our-time-north-korean-women-are-turning-to-prostitution-to-survive/#comment-69291 [...] One Free Korea » The Comfort Women of Our Time: North Korean Women Are Turning to Prostitution to Survive www.freekorea.us/2009/09/21/the-comfort-women-of-our-time-north-korean-women-are-turning-to-prostitution-to-survive – view page – cached One Free Korea analyzes North Korea and South Korea - human rights, politics, diplomacy, concentration camps, google earth imagery, famine and food aid, advocacy, and military affairs. It is read by... (Read more)One Free Korea analyzes North Korea and South Korea - human rights, politics, diplomacy, concentration camps, google earth imagery, famine and food aid, advocacy, and military affairs. It is read by lawmakers, journalists, diplomats, activists, and academics worldwide. (Read less) — From the page [...] [...] One Free Korea » The Comfort Women of Our Time: North Korean Women Are Turning to Prostitution to Survive http://www.freekorea.us/2009/09/21/the-comfort-women-of-our-time-north-korean-women-are-turning-to-prostitution-to-survive – view page – cached One Free Korea analyzes North Korea and South Korea – human rights, politics, diplomacy, concentration camps, google earth imagery, famine and food aid, advocacy, and military affairs. It is read by… (Read more)One Free Korea analyzes North Korea and South Korea – human rights, politics, diplomacy, concentration camps, google earth imagery, famine and food aid, advocacy, and military affairs. It is read by lawmakers, journalists, diplomats, activists, and academics worldwide. (Read less) — From the page [...]

]]> By: Adam Cathcart http://freekorea.us/2009/09/21/the-comfort-women-of-our-time-north-korean-women-are-turning-to-prostitution-to-survive/comment-page-1/#comment-69163 Adam Cathcart Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:38:35 +0000 http://www.freekorea.us/2009/09/21/the-comfort-women-of-our-time-north-korean-women-are-turning-to-prostitution-to-survive/#comment-69163 This is obviously a thoughtful post on a very important topic, and the colonial Japan comparison in particular is one that people should be chewing over for quite a while. Brian Myers has certainly been on a bit of a tear lately with his DPRK-as-imperial-Japan theme. As regards the Daily NK report from Hyesan, I'm glad you used and it appears to be generally accurate, but there are a few additional factual aspects that come through in <a href="http://adamcathcart.wordpress.com/2009/09/22/flower-girls-prostitution-in-hyesan/" rel="nofollow">a translation from the Chinese version</a>. (E.g., the English language version offered by Daily NK is in fact incomplete.) On another topic, <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/sep/18/north-korea-nuclear-disarmament-china" rel="nofollow">this recent Guardian article</a> seems to confirm some of your suspicions of North Korean negotiating tactics. [Sorry if this is a re-send, I have been having a few technical difficulties over here -- But perhaps my difficulties are due to the PLA's fantastic new cyber-warfare capabilities being unleashed upon my computer for typing in the phrase "Ribya Kadheer Visa <a href="http://www.dalailama.com/news.432.htm" rel="nofollow">Valerie Jarrett with His Holiness </a>Dana Rohrabacher."] This is obviously a thoughtful post on a very important topic, and the colonial Japan comparison in particular is one that people should be chewing over for quite a while. Brian Myers has certainly been on a bit of a tear lately with his DPRK-as-imperial-Japan theme.

As regards the Daily NK report from Hyesan, I’m glad you used and it appears to be generally accurate, but there are a few additional factual aspects that come through in a translation from the Chinese version. (E.g., the English language version offered by Daily NK is in fact incomplete.)

On another topic, this recent Guardian article seems to confirm some of your suspicions of North Korean negotiating tactics.

[Sorry if this is a re-send, I have been having a few technical difficulties over here -- But perhaps my difficulties are due to the PLA's fantastic new cyber-warfare capabilities being unleashed upon my computer for typing in the phrase "Ribya Kadheer Visa Valerie Jarrett with His Holiness Dana Rohrabacher."]

]]> By: Adam Cathcart http://freekorea.us/2009/09/21/the-comfort-women-of-our-time-north-korean-women-are-turning-to-prostitution-to-survive/comment-page-1/#comment-69154 Adam Cathcart Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:59:20 +0000 http://www.freekorea.us/2009/09/21/the-comfort-women-of-our-time-north-korean-women-are-turning-to-prostitution-to-survive/#comment-69154 My extensive critique and expansion of the Daily NK report on prostitution in Hyesan upon which you base the last part of your post is up <a href="http://adamcathcart.wordpress.com/2009/09/22/flower-girls-prostitution-in-hyesan/" rel="nofollow">here</a>. Basically, some of the most interesting (and important) details from the Chinese version of the Daily NK story are not simply reflected in the English version. This is something I have tried to rectify. On a different issue, <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/sep/18/north-korea-nuclear-disarmament-china" rel="nofollow">this Guardian article</a> on disarmament seemed to be something you might be able to use as well. My extensive critique and expansion of the Daily NK report on prostitution in Hyesan upon which you base the last part of your post is up here.

Basically, some of the most interesting (and important) details from the Chinese version of the Daily NK story are not simply reflected in the English version. This is something I have tried to rectify.

On a different issue, this Guardian article on disarmament seemed to be something you might be able to use as well.

]]> By: KCJ http://freekorea.us/2009/09/21/the-comfort-women-of-our-time-north-korean-women-are-turning-to-prostitution-to-survive/comment-page-1/#comment-69153 KCJ Tue, 22 Sep 2009 09:48:27 +0000 http://www.freekorea.us/2009/09/21/the-comfort-women-of-our-time-north-korean-women-are-turning-to-prostitution-to-survive/#comment-69153 <blockquote cite="Take nothing I say here as a moral objection to voluntary commercial sex among free and consenting adults."> Disappointing. Happy Rosh Hoshana, Mr. Stanton.

Disappointing. Happy Rosh Hoshana, Mr. Stanton.

]]> By: The_Incredible_HUK http://freekorea.us/2009/09/21/the-comfort-women-of-our-time-north-korean-women-are-turning-to-prostitution-to-survive/comment-page-1/#comment-69150 The_Incredible_HUK Mon, 21 Sep 2009 23:59:16 +0000 http://www.freekorea.us/2009/09/21/the-comfort-women-of-our-time-north-korean-women-are-turning-to-prostitution-to-survive/#comment-69150 The South Korean public's quickness to display anger against Japan over any perceived or real slight made by Japanese politicians or commentators about the comfort women has never witnessed an equivalent display of indignation, at least scale-wise, when it comes to North Korean refugee women being sold off, beaten, raped, and otherwise dehumanized in Manchuria by (ironically) ethnic Koreans native to China or by the Chinese themselves. I have never received a rational explanation from a native Korean upon asking why South Koreans are so bitterly and fiercely angry at Japan over the comfort women of World War II (justifiably so, I might add) but are practically indifferent to what North Korean women are enduring. They never admit, out of obvious pride, that theirs is an inconsistent position, and that they probably don't care as much about North Korean women because South Korean society by and large looks down on North Korean defectors. Perhaps South Koreans view North Koreans as embarrassing reminders of the poverty they themselves escaped not so very long ago. South Koreans claim that the dignity and human rights of Korean women is a big deal, but it appears that the only time Korean women must be defended is when the perpetrators are Japanese troops of decades ago or allegedly dangerous, HIV-carrying, foreign English teachers. I needn't state what Koreans in Korea (men at least) think of Korean women's rights given that Korean women are still treated with appalling sexism, harassment, and given rape is still widely underreported in South Korea. The South Korean public’s quickness to display anger against Japan over any perceived or real slight made by Japanese politicians or commentators about the comfort women has never witnessed an equivalent display of indignation, at least scale-wise, when it comes to North Korean refugee women being sold off, beaten, raped, and otherwise dehumanized in Manchuria by (ironically) ethnic Koreans native to China or by the Chinese themselves.

I have never received a rational explanation from a native Korean upon asking why South Koreans are so bitterly and fiercely angry at Japan over the comfort women of World War II (justifiably so, I might add) but are practically indifferent to what North Korean women are enduring. They never admit, out of obvious pride, that theirs is an inconsistent position, and that they probably don’t care as much about North Korean women because South Korean society by and large looks down on North Korean defectors. Perhaps South Koreans view North Koreans as embarrassing reminders of the poverty they themselves escaped not so very long ago.

South Koreans claim that the dignity and human rights of Korean women is a big deal, but it appears that the only time Korean women must be defended is when the perpetrators are Japanese troops of decades ago or allegedly dangerous, HIV-carrying, foreign English teachers. I needn’t state what Koreans in Korea (men at least) think of Korean women’s rights given that Korean women are still treated with appalling sexism, harassment, and given rape is still widely underreported in South Korea.

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