Where Have All the Young Girls Gone? [Yang Hyun-ah's Studio]

The recent removal of police barricades surrounding the "Statue of Peace" in front of the former Japanese Embassy in Seoul, after a six-year presence, marks a significant moment in the ongoing discourse surrounding the "comfort women" issue. This event, as explored by Professor Yang Hyun-ah, invites a deeper examination of the "comfort women" problem through the lens of "multi-layered spatiotemporality," moving beyond a simple historical narrative to encompass its complex temporal and spatial dimensions.

The article frames the "comfort women" issue within a broader context of modernity and post-modernity, suggesting that time and space are not linear but rather cyclical, with the past constantly re-inscribing itself onto the present. This perspective is crucial for understanding how historical injustices, such as sexual slavery under the Japanese military, continue to resonate today. The author draws parallels between the "comfort women" issue and other atrocities like the Holocaust, emphasizing that the systematic nature of the abuse, the forced displacement across the Asia-Pacific, and the reproductive violence inflicted upon the victims constitute elements of genocide.

The piece meticulously traces key historical and legal milestones. It references President Lee Jae-myung's controversial comparison of "comfort women" to the Holocaust, which, despite Israeli diplomatic objections, is presented as a significant attempt to frame the issue within a universal human rights discourse. The article also recalls the "2000 Women's International War Crimes Tribunal on Japanese Military Sexual Slavery" in Tokyo, which declared the crimes "Crimes against Humanity" and assigned individual and state responsibility. Furthermore, it touches upon the South Korean Constitutional Court's 2011 ruling, which affirmed the Korean government's responsibility in addressing the victims' rights, and the subsequent legal victories for victims in South Korean courts against the Japanese government, challenging the principle of state immunity.

The removal of the barricades itself is imbued with symbolic meaning. These barriers, erected in response to attempts by far-right groups to deny the existence of military sexual slavery and vandalize the statue, were a response to the weekly "Wednesday Demonstrations" led by the Justice for Peace Foundation. The "Statue of Peace," now present in over 150 locations in South Korea and 35 abroad, is presented as a global symbol of solidarity and a representation of the collective consciousness of Koreans grappling with unresolved colonial oppression and gender-based violence. The article concludes by posing critical questions about the temporal and geographical scope of the "comfort women" issue, suggesting that its implications extend far beyond 80 years ago and are not confined to Korea alone, acknowledging the diverse experiences of victims across Asia.