The Tragedy of Korean Comfort Women
Yonsei GSIS Human Rights Hub
[{'start': '7.000', 'end': '10.958', 'text': "The War and Women's Human Rights Museum\nwas established to remember and teach"}, {'start': '10.958', 'end': '13.958', 'text': 'about the history of Japanese\nmilitary ‘’comfort women.’’'}, {'start': '14.041', 'end': '17.208', 'text': 'These were women and girls\nas young as 13 years old, who were forced'}, {'start': '17.208', 'end': '20.666', 'text': 'into sexual slavery\nby the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces'}, {'start': '20.666', 'end': '25.083', 'text': 'before and during the Second World\nWar, often tricked by innocent promises'}, {'start': '25.083', 'end': '28.083', 'text': 'of higher paying jobs\nor educational opportunities.'}, {'start': '31.708', 'end': '34.791', 'text': 'It was also common for girls\nto be pulled from their classrooms,'}, {'start': '34.875', 'end': '38.083', 'text': 'or even picked up from the streets\nthroughout the 1940s.'}, {'start': '41.041', 'end': '42.833', 'text': 'Women at comfort stations were forced'}, {'start': '42.833', 'end': '46.375', 'text': 'to provide soldiers with sexual services,\nand worked long hours.'}, {'start': '46.916', 'end': '50.791', 'text': 'Oftentimes, their only access to medical\ncare was through pregnancy tests'}, {'start': '50.958', 'end': '55.166', 'text': 'or semi-regular STI checkups, which were conducted\nnot for their own safety,'}, {'start': '55.166', 'end': '57.208', 'text': 'but for the safety\nof the Japanese soldiers.'}, {'start': '59.458', 'end': '61.916', 'text': '‘’Were you already\naware of the topic of comfort women'}, {'start': '61.916', 'end': '64.166', 'text': 'from Korea and Japan, or was\nthis is all new to you,'}, {'start': '64.166', 'end': '65.875', 'text': 'and did you learn a lot of new things here\ntoday?’’'}, {'start': '65.875', 'end': '66.833', 'text': '‘’I was aware of it.'}, {'start': '66.833', 'end': '67.916', 'text': 'I did know some stuff.'}, {'start': '67.916', 'end': '69.958', 'text': "I wasn't- I didn't know about the details."}, {'start': '69.958', 'end': '71.750', 'text': "And I also didn't know, for example,"}, {'start': '71.750', 'end': '75.208', 'text': 'that Korean soldiers did more or less\nthe same thing while in the Vietnam War.'}, {'start': '75.500', 'end': '77.708', 'text': 'So that was also new information for me.'}, {'start': '77.708', 'end': '78.833', 'text': 'Very eye opening too.’’'}, {'start': '84.958', 'end': '88.416', 'text': 'Kim Haksoon was the first Korean survivor\namong the comfort women'}, {'start': '88.416', 'end': '91.416', 'text': 'to share her experiences publicly in 1991.'}, {'start': '92.291', 'end': '96.083', 'text': 'She was forcefully drafted at age 17\nand sent to the front lines'}, {'start': '96.083', 'end': '99.083', 'text': 'of the battlefields\nin China to work as a comfort woman.'}, {'start': '105.166', 'end': '108.416', 'text': 'Despite her bravery to come out\nwhen the Japanese government insisted'}, {'start': '108.416', 'end': '112.291', 'text': 'there was no such thing as a comfort women\nsystem, she passed away in 1997'}, {'start': '112.291', 'end': '115.666', 'text': 'without ever receiving a formal apology\nfrom the Japanese government.'}, {'start': '134.791', 'end': '135.750', 'text': 'Since then,'}, {'start': '135.750', 'end': '139.541', 'text': 'more Korean Survivors of this comfort\nwoman system, Halmonis,'}, {'start': '139.916', 'end': '142.208', 'text': 'have come out to share their stories.'}, {'start': '172.000', 'end': '172.958', 'text': 'Through weekly'}, {'start': '172.958', 'end': '175.958', 'text': '‘’wednesday demonstrations’’\nin front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul.'}, {'start': '176.416', 'end': '179.916', 'text': 'Koreans, alongside Halmonis, demand\nthe Japanese government'}, {'start': '179.916', 'end': '184.666', 'text': 'to redress the topic of comfort women,\nhoping to one day obtain justice.'}, {'start': '193.208', 'end': '195.833', 'text': 'They do so alongside the Statue of Peace,'}, {'start': '195.833', 'end': '198.958', 'text': 'permanently facing the Japanese Embassy,\nto urge the government'}, {'start': '198.958', 'end': '200.125', 'text': 'to apologize.'}, {'start': '206.875', 'end': '209.666', 'text': "The War and Women's Human Rights Museum\nstill brings awareness"}, {'start': '209.666', 'end': '212.666', 'text': 'to ongoing issues of sexual violence\nin armed conflicts,'}, {'start': '213.208', 'end': '217.041', 'text': 'and stands in solidarity for a world\nwithout war and violence against women.'}, {'start': '218.541', 'end': '222.000', 'text': 'Even providing guests with an opportunity\nto donate to the Butterfly Fund,'}, {'start': '222.833', 'end': '225.625', 'text': 'an organization\ndedicated to achieving an equitable'}, {'start': '225.625', 'end': '228.750', 'text': 'and just resolution\nto the issue of wartime sexual violence.'}, {'start': '230.875', 'end': '233.958', 'text': '‘’Was there anything else that you learned\ntoday that was completely new to you?’’'}, {'start': '234.000', 'end': '236.083', 'text': '‘’Oh, yeah. The, the Wednesday protests.'}, {'start': '236.083', 'end': '238.708', 'text': "I didn't know that that, you know,\nhappened."}, {'start': '238.708', 'end': '241.208', 'text': 'Was it, I believe it was, in Korea, right?'}, {'start': '241.208', 'end': '243.500', 'text': "That's the embassy\nthat they protest every Wednesday?"}, {'start': '243.500', 'end': '246.708', 'text': "So I did, okay, I didn't know that,\nso that was very interesting."}, {'start': '246.708', 'end': '249.833', 'text': "I'm definitely going to go and,\nyou know, look from afar."}, {'start': '249.833', 'end': '251.750', 'text': "If anything,\nI'm going to get that out of today.’’"}, {'start': '282.208', 'end': '285.208', 'text': '‘’I thought it was very interesting,\nvery eye opening.'}, {'start': '285.208', 'end': '286.916', 'text': "There's a lot of history\nI don't know about."}, {'start': '286.916', 'end': '290.625', 'text': 'And I also thought the special exhibit\nwas really interesting.'}, {'start': '290.625', 'end': '293.708', 'text': 'I was really touched by the Halmoni’s\nefforts to, you know,'}, {'start': '293.750', 'end': '295.500', 'text': 'bring awareness of this issue.'}, {'start': '295.500', 'end': '298.166', 'text': 'I think, overall,\nit was a really nice experience,'}, {'start': '298.166', 'end': '299.000', 'text': 'and I think more people'}, {'start': '299.000', 'end': '302.041', 'text': 'should be interested in these things\nand willing to learn about them.’’'}]