An Inquiry into the Controversy of Korean Comfort Women

Abstract

During World War II the Japanese Imperial Army utilized government sanctioned prostitution to increase troop morale and diminish contention with the local population. These “comfort women” (as they came to be known) recount tales of kidnapping, rape, and poor conditions that have prompted decades of international debate over the legitimacy
of their claims and the resulting reparations they may incur. Due to a variety of cultural, economic, and political factors, the voices of these women were not heard until the 1990s. This essay will explore the intersectional factors that affected the comfort women’s silence as well as address the lingering tension between Japan and Korea on an international political scale.