뉴스레터

An international workshop on sexual violence during World War II was held on February 19-21 at the University of Bonn in Germany. The event was co-funded by the Northeast Asian History and the University of Bonn. The invitation, however, highlighted only the Foundation's contribution. We were grateful for the host's generous consideration, but we were also embarrassed that our role in the event may have been overblown.

While the chosen theme was wartime sexual violence, the workshop was founded on more ambitious goals. From the early stages of planning, Professor Reinhard Zöllner (Department of Asian Studies, University of Bonn), who had proposed the workshop, pointed out that it is important to reexamine the discipline of history by reviewing the existing historical narratives on wartime sexual violence. Regarding historical reconciliation, it is often said in Korea that Germany and France have been much more successful than Japan. However, if we look at the matter in terms of sexual violence, and furthermore, through the prism of gender, there are gaps in historical reconciliation in Europe.

In East Asia, where discussions on sex and sexual violence are generally considered taboo, the issue of Japanese military sexual slavery has been raised to the fore. Victims have been offering testimonials and activists have been working hard to seek redress. In contrast, although sexual violence and forced prostitution had been rampant in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Poland, and Russia during World War II, the victims have remained silent and neither feminist groups nor scholars have properly addressed the issue. It is only recently that there has been growing academic interest in Europe concerning sexual violence in Eastern Europe and sexual violence under the Nazi occupation. In this sense, the said workshop was more the product of systematic planning rather than of a fleeting academic preoccupation.

Can Europe's historical reconciliation be deemed successful even though it has turned a blind eye to sexual violence?

In her introductory remark, Professor Claudia Kraft (University of Erfurt) proposed a theoretical framework for the workshop. Based on the premise that the discipline of history must recognize the significance of the issue of sexual violence, the workshop should address the following main themes: 1) promotion of regional studies, 2) comparative approach—i.e., comparison of Eastern Europe and Asia, and 3) politics of memory regarding sexual violence. She stressed that given its politicization, sexual violence is an issue closely linked to power relations and the strengthening of collective identities. Add state-level planning and racism to the mix, the issue of sexual violence is a complex interplay of competing social relationships.

As for more specific topics, the workshop covered the following: Japanese military sexual slavery and Japan's response, the current status of research on Japanese military sexual slavery in Korea and the issue of memory, sexual violence carried out by the German army in Russia and the army's response, comparative case study of Japan and Germany, sexual violence against German women committed by the Russian forces, sexual violence in occupied Poland and collective memory, sexual violence and the aestheticization of the body in Nazi concentration camps in Poland, forced prostitution in Nazi concentration camps, tabooing wartime prostitution in postwar Poland, war and nationalism, and gender.

The active roundtable discussion yielded proposals and suggestions on the following issues: the need for transnational history that transcends national borders; the comparative perspective and the need for new attempts; the nation and the role of the nation-state; gender hierarchy; information exchange and the sharing of methodologies for collecting source materials; and the use and organization of relevant terminologies. It was pointed out that there is a need for discussions and information exchange concerning the collection of source materials and testimonials on sexual violence given how difficult an undertaking it is. The participants focused on the fact that it is only in Korea that the victims have offered testimonials and showed great interest in the methodology and the means by which the victims were persuaded to speak up.

The possibility of a research network on gender and sexuality and the politics of memory

Of note regarding the politics of memory was the debate on Japanese military sexual slavery between the internationally renowned Professor Ueno Chizuko (Tokyo University) and myself. The debate was conducted via a video conferencing system. Professor Ueno used the Asian Women's Fund and So Far from the Bamboo Grove issues as examples to argue that the success of the Japanese military slavery movement in Korea has been driven by Korean-style nationalism, and thus, pointed to the difficulty of historical reconciliation between Korea and Japan. In response, I contended that the politics of memory surrounding Japanese military sexual slavery is more closely linked to the driving force of democratization, which the Korean society succeeded in building over the past 20 years. I also pointed out that the Asian Women's Fund is an issue of concern from the Japanese viewpoint rather than from the victims' standpoint. I called on the need to highlight the exercise of imperialist power inherent in sexual violence. One of the questions raised was whether or not the victims have been taken advantage of with the politicization of sexual violence. There is a need for Korea to thoroughly reflect upon this question and develop a coherent and logical argument on the matter.

The international workshop on "Sexual Violence in World War II" was very significant in that Korea's process of historical reconciliation and studies concerning Japanese military sexual slavery inspired a new set of international research agenda. Additionally, the workshop was exceptional in its intensity and focus. There was full attendance at all the sessions over the 3-day workshop period, and everyone actively participated in the discussions. Toward the end of the workshop, it was proposed that the workshop be turned into a research network to undertake various projects.

From the get-go, the organizers of the workshop were intent on garnering the research findings of junior scholars who have just completed their Ph.D. program or junior researcher involved in ongoing research. There are also plans to apply for a large-scale project funding from a German or international research foundation. Accordingly, I believe the workshop has the potential to develop into an important research network on gender and sexual violence and the politics of memory. Korea needs to participate actively in such a research network to ensure that we have a greater say in the study of politics of memory taking place in the international community.