Historians and activists state that from the 1950s to the 1980s, tens of thousands of South Korean women worked in state-sanctioned brothels, serving U.S. troops stationed in the country to protect the South from North Korea. In 2022, South Korea’s top court ruled that the government had illegally “established, managed, and operated” these brothels for the U.S. military, ordering it to pay compensation to around 120 plaintiffs.
Last week, 117 victims filed a new lawsuit, officially accusing and seeking an apology from the U.S. military for the first time. The lawsuit seeks 10 million won ($7,200) in compensation per victim.
Unlike the well-known “comfort women” used by Japanese soldiers until the end of World War II, those who worked for U.S. troops have received relatively limited attention, largely because Washington is Seoul’s key and long-standing security ally. According to historians, the economy surrounding military brothels in U.S. base towns, including restaurants, barbershops, and bars catering to American GIs, constituted about 25 percent of South Korea’s GDP during the 1960s and 70s.
“I still cannot forget being beaten by U.S. soldiers—slapped for lowering my head while pouring drinks, for not smiling, or for no reason at all,” said one plaintiff, in her 60s, in a statement. She said she was only 17 when she was tricked into the job; she thought she was going to be a bartender but was forced into sex work and told she could not leave due to her “debt.”
‘I Couldn’t Even Walk’
“Every night we were dragged to U.S. soldiers and sexually abused. Every week we were forced to undergo venereal disease tests. If there was the slightest abnormality, we were locked in a small room and injected with a thick needle of strong penicillin,” she said. “The shots were so harsh that my legs gave out and I couldn’t even walk.” In a joint statement, women’s rights activists supporting the victims said the U.S. military “ignored the South Korean Constitution” and stripped the women of their personal freedom, “destroying their lives.”
Lawyers said the lawsuit names the South Korean government as the defendant, as existing laws require Seoul to compensate victims of illegal acts committed by U.S. soldiers on duty and then seek reimbursement from Washington. “This lawsuit seeks to hold both the South Korean government and the U.S. military authorities jointly liable for the unlawful acts,” said lawyer Ha Ju-hee.
The U.S. still stations around 28,500 troops in South Korea to help protect it against nuclear-armed North Korea. The United States Forces Korea (USFK) said it was “aware of the reports regarding the issue,” adding, “we will not comment while legal proceedings are ongoing.” The USFK also stated, “We affirm that we do not condone any behavior that violates Republic of Korea laws, rules, or directives, and we remain committed to maintaining the highest standards of good order and discipline.”
