ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the origin of Japan’s military sexual slavery in Asia between 1930 and 1945, the social structures that formed its background, the reasons the issue was suppressed for fifty years, how it has been and continues to be brought to light, and the responses and possible resolutions offered by the Korean and Japanese governments. Even though military sexual slavery involved a fundamental disregard for women, it has been alternatively concealed and unveiled according to changes in the balance of power among the countries involved. The problem of military sexual slavery intertwines with issues of nation, gender, class, and state, and academic discussions have often focused on one or more of these matters. The present chapter offers an overview of these issues, along with a lexicon with which to discuss them and to move further toward their resolution. It is, however, a preliminary account, since investigations of the subject are far from complete.
