미지센터의 청소년 국제교류이야기

Japanese Military Sexual Slaves

On January, it was the 1000^th Wednesday gathering of the Japanese military sexual slave problem. The news had provoked my attention to the matter and I began to research more about the rising issue of Japanese comfort women. For this reason, I visited the ‘House of Sharing’ to find out more about the problem. After the visit to the “House of Sharing”, the experience and some research helped me to learn a lot about the problem of Japanese Military Sexual Slaves.

Who are the Japanese Military Sexual Slaves?

 On August 1944, the essential work order for comfort women was announced in Korea and this allowed the

Japanese military to force sexual work to Korean women. Although legally-coercive conscriptions were not brought into action, the Japanese military began to forcibly employ women. From December 1941, Japanese rebel forces began to hit their stride in female-chasing. This happened in ways like kid-napping, using violence, etc. Poor women aged between 10 and 20 were lured by the promise of successful labor options. Although it is not easy to calculate the exact number of women kidnapped, it is assumed that the whole population would be roughly 50,000~200,000, more than 80% of them Korean (Statistics from the Korea Council for Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan, 한국정신대문제대책협의회). Unfortunately, this event did not only occur to young Asian women. For instance, Dutch women living in the Java Islands were also victims of this crime.

Information about the victims of the Japanese military comfort women problem

Once captured, these young women were sent to China, Japan, South-east Asia and many different locations that were conquered by the Japanese. Once settled into the comfort stations, women suffered from a lethal sexual-slave life, hard for any human to endure. Each woman was obligated to receive 35~70 men a day. In the daytime, they served soldiers and petty officers and at night, they were constrained to serve commissioned officers. The brothels, where many of these women lived, were not even provided with acceptable sanitation facilities. Being open to these terrible environments, many women suffered from painful diseases. Three times of venereal disease examinations were held each month for every female and private actions like going out were strictly restricted.

What is the “House of Sharing”?

Currently, the surviving Korean victims of this event are habiting in the “House of Sharing”, a facility located in Gwangju City on the outskirts of Seoul. It was built with the funds from private Korean nationals and a Buddhist organization. Inside the building, there is an extended history hall that includes great artworks by the survivors, artifacts, photographs. Opened in 1998, the hall also includes a re-creation of a room in a comfort station. Through the history hall showcase, they inform the world of the Japanese military’s ‘sexual slave’ brutality. All those showcases remain as the key evidence of the Japanese government’s responsibility for the servant women issues. During the time when I was at the “House of Sharing”, I met the Secretary-General Kim Jung Sook of International Peace & Human Rights Center and gained the opportunity to hear her opinions through e-mail.

1. Could you introduce the ‘House of Sharing’ for students who are not familiar with it?

The “House of Sharing” is a home built for the victims of the Japanese military comfort women problem during the early 1990s. This place was constructed with the contribution from many Korean citizens, also those who supported the Buddhism. On October 1995, the “House of sharing” first opened in Mapo, Seoul and after many moves, it settled in its current place on December 1995. Currently, 8 old women who were sufferers of the Japanese military comfort women issue dwell together in the “House of sharing”. These women have Korean language classes, drawing classes and they hold exhibitions both nationally and internationally to inform the public of the truth of Japanese military’s brutality. Also, they are participating every Wednesday in the “Wednesday protest” in front of the Japanese Embassy for the Japanese government to state the reality of the Japanese military comfort women issue and to request a formal apology.

2.  How would you like to promote the Japanese military comfort women issue?

For to publicize the Japanese military comfort women problem, the “House of Sharing” had opened a History Hall from 1998 and taught some history that could not be obtained in schools. A lot of information about this problem is being sent to others through homepages and social networks like Twitter and Facebook. Also, the “House of Sharing” is organizing volunteer groups from many schools and preparing a program where students can visit the History Hall once in every year. By offering students these opportunities, they are provided with a motivation to share this problem with many of their friends and bring others to participate as well. In addition, the “House of Sharing” is alarming the seriousness of this problem to many individuals around the world through its 2 day and 1 night human rights camp.

3. What do you expect from students, regarding the problem of Japanese military comfort women?

The Japanese military comfort women issue is a historical problem which has not yet been fixed. It has not ended just by being hauled and continually violated by the Japanese soldiers. Many victims of this crime are suffering from troubles, which they received as an aftermath of the crime, for the rest of their lives. The victims have always mentioned to students that a soldier should make an effort to protect a country, politicians should assure a comfortable living for all of its citizens, and students should keep a good relationship with their parents and study hard. The old women victims also emphasized that every person should try to make a good effort within their fields to make their country stronger and make sure that no more victims like themselves come out.

A doorplate of the “House of Sharing”

The History Hall of the "House of Sharing"

It is important for students to take part in solving the Japanese military comfort women problem, but students should firstly take in mind the victims’ hope, “People should accept the tragic events we had to endure as a history for everyone to know”.

수요시위에 참가한 시민들과 위안부 할머니

수요시위에 함께 참가해주신 김복동 할머니, 길원옥 할머니

희망꿈공주학부모회 충효예교실에서 한 학생이 위안부 할머님께 직접 써온 편지를 읽고 있는 모습.

경찰이 배치되어 있는 건너편 일본 대사관의 모습

최근에 제막된 소녀상 평화비의 모습. 목도리와 담요를 두르고 있다.

소녀상 평화비에는 한가지 숨겨져 있는 슬픈 의미가 있다. 동상의 모습은 10대 정도로 보이는 소녀가 조각되어 있지만, 돌로 깔린 소녀상의 그림자는 쪽 찐 머리와 함께 등이 굽은 할머니의 모습이다.
일본 정부는 소녀상 평화비가 일본 대사관의 품위를 떨어뜨린다는 이유로 철거를 요구하고 있다. 소녀상 평화비에는 그 어디에도 일본과 관련된 글이나 일본을 뜻하는 상징이 없는데도 말이다. 이것은 그들이 그들 스스로 위안부에 대한 문제를 자각하고 있다는 뜻이 아닐 수 없다.

지난 윤미향(한국 정신대 문제 대책 협의회 상임대표) 20년간 수요시위를 진행해온 한국정신대문제대책협의회, 윤미향 상임대표를 인터뷰했다. 1. 청소년들에게 수요집회에 대해서 간단히 소개를 한다면? 1992년 1월 8일 시작된 이래 매주 수요일 12시에 일본군 위안부 문제 해결을 위한 수요시위를 합니다. 이곳 평화로 일본 대사관 앞에서, 물론 일본군 위안부 문제가 해결되는 그날까지 계속하고요. 처음에는 피해자들과 소수의 여성이 시작했지만 20년이 지난 지금 학생들이, 외국에서 관광하러 오신 분들이, 평화운동, 인권운동 하시는 분들이, 정치가들이 적극적으로 연대를 하고 있고요. 그래서 지난 2011년 11월 14일 날 1,000차가 되었습니다. 오늘은 벌써 1,004차를 하고 있는 거고요. 수요시위는 7가지를 요구하고 있어요. 첫 번째는 자료를 공개하고 진상을 규명하라. 두 번째는 범죄임을 인정하라. 세 번째는 공식 사죄하라. 네 번째는 법적 배상 하라. 다섯번째가 역사 교과서에 기록하고 올바르게 기록하라. 여섯 번 째, 사료관과 추모비를 건립하고 재발방지 조치를 취하라. 일곱 번째가 이 범죄의 책임자를 처벌하라는 요구에요. 그런데 아직도 계속 일곱 가지 요구를 계속하고 있습니다. 2. 수요시위와 더불어 청소년들이 위안부 할머니들을 위하여 할  수있는 일이 있다면 무엇이 일을까요? 열심히 친구들에게 위안부를 잊지 않도록 알리는 것, 그것이 가장 중요하다고 봐요. 역사를 기억하지 못하는 사람들은 똑같이 과거의 잘못된 역사를 반복하게 되거든요. 따라서 역사를 기억하도록 친구들에게 위안부 문제를 알려야겠죠. 이것에 대해 책도 읽고 공부도 열심히 하고, 또 요즘 청소년들이 사용하는 인터넷이나 매체들을 통해서 일본 정부에 위안부 문제를 해결하라고 요구하는 활동들. 한국 정부에 이 문제를 해결하기 위해 외교부가 적극적으로 나서 줄 것을 요구하는 것들을 인터넷을 통해서 열심히 활동하는 것이 있을 수 있어요. 다른 하나는 요즘 학교에서 동아리 활동을 하는 것이 많잖아요. 축제나 다른 활동도 좋지만, 그런 것보다 더 깊은 역사의 가치라던가 위안부 할머니에 대한 역사에 대해 전시하고 다큐멘터리도 많으니까. 또 이렇게 직접 활동하시는 분들 초청해서 강의를 듣는 것. 이렇게 해서 계속 이것을 퍼트리는 것, 이것을 일본 정부가 가장 무서워할 것이다. 사람들이 많이 알게 되는 것. 왜냐하면, 그만큼 일본정부에게는 이것이 부끄러운 일이니까. 3. 청소년들에게 간단히 하고 싶은 말이 있다면? "포기하지 마라. 포기하지 말고 내가 포기하고 싶을 때 참혹한 전쟁 속에서도 생명을 포기하지 않고 우리에게 평화를, 생명의 소중함을 전하고 있는 할머니들의 삶을 생각하면서 힘을 가져라. 그리고 나의 개인의 이익이라던가 목적을 달성하기 위해 노력하는 것도 중요하지만, 나 이외에 내가 속한 사회의 이웃들의 아픔이라던 가의 문제, 고통에 함께 관심을 두고 참여하고 그 문제 해결에 힘을 쓰는 것. 이것이 바로 나를 행복하게 하는 것이다" 이런 말이요. 내가 아무리 잘나도 우리 사회가 엉망이고 불의하고 모순적이면 내가 행복할 수 없잖아요. 그러니 그런 노력을 함께 했으면 좋겠다는 것입니다.