Definitions of ‘comfort women’ reveal Japan-S. Korea divide
TOKYO — “Comfort women,” used by the Japanese military for sex, were present wherever the army invaded and occupied Asia countries from the early 1930s through the end of World War II.
That aspect of wartime history was kept quiet until the early 1990s, when a South Korean woman came forward, joined by some others, seeking Japanese help and accountability. Since then, the two countries have been divided over how badly Japan treated comfort women and how it should atone for past behaviour.
That hasn’t changed despite a 2015 agreement intended to resolve differences. After South Korean activists installed a “comfort woman” statue in front of the Japanese consulate in the South Korean port city of Busan, Japan announced last week that it would temporarily recall its ambassador to South Korea and suspend economic talks.
The divide is reflected in the term “comfort women” itself. Both countries use it, but it means different things to each: