The suffering of the Japanese Military “Comfort Women,” one of the most tragic human rights abuses of the 20th century, should be preserved and managed as historical documentary heritage. This is crucial to prevent such atrocities from recurring and provide a lesson to future generations.
Hye-in Han
The spread of “Comfort Women” memorials across different cities and countries offers insights into both possibilities and the limits of memory activism, especially in an era when the world continues to confront the legacies of colonialism, racism, and historical injustice.
Dr. Daniel Schumacher
Is it still possible to remember Bae Bong-gi’s life and mourn her death beyond the adversarial structure between nations?
Kim Shin Hyun-gyung
Lee Jeeheng
A review of Unsilenced: Sexual Violence in Conflict, the UK’s first exhibition focusing on the issue of sexual violence during modern and contemporary global conflicts.
Nikolai Johnsen
In 2022, as a result of Japan’s aggressive diplomacy, UNESCO’s MoW inscription rules were revised to require all documents to be submitted through national governments. Additionally, if a concerned country objects, the application is halted from entering the review process and must instead undergo a so-called “dialogue” procedure. Under these revised rules, any attempt by a victimized country to submit documents related to the Japanese Military “Comfort Women” is likely to be blocked before even reaching the review stage due to Japan’s opposition.
The history of the Japanese Military “Comfort Women” issue has challenged long-standing conservative cultural norms regarding women and sexuality in Asia by amplifying the voices of the victims. Moreover, it has contributed to the establishment of globally significant norms and values related to women’s human rights. This means that the records documenting the Japanese Military “Comfort Women” issue and related activities meet the criteria of “world significance.”
Until 2022, when the book The Comfort Women of Singapore in History and Memory was published, it was widely thought in Singapore that there were no Singaporean "Comfort Women" who were sexually enslaved by the Japanese military.
Kevin Blackburn
Historian Harrison C. Kim traces how discourse on “Comfort Women” in North Korea has evolved—at times in dialogue with the outside world—while developing distinct advocacy practices and perspectives.
Cheehyung Harrison Kim
The Contested Histories Initiative (CHI) is a Europe-based NGO dedicated to studying disputes over historical memorials in public spaces and promoting critical engagement with them. CHI’s Program Director, Paula O’Donohoe, spoke with Kyeol about the organization’s work and its broader vision.
Paula O’Donohoe
Carol Gluck
Written by Son Hee-jung, Yonsei University Institute of Gender Studies
Son Hee-jung
