South Korea’s Gender Equality Minister Won Min-kyong issued an apology to former sex workers who faced rights violations in brothels near American military bases. This marks the government’s first official apology for the injustices. The apology was made in honor of International Women’s Day.
The apology follows a Supreme Court ruling in 2022 that ordered the state to compensate 95 former sex workers. These women were part of brothels located near US military bases, known as “base villages” or “Gijichon” in Korean. The victims had filed a lawsuit in 2014, alleging government involvement in enabling such practices.
Recently, the National Assembly passed a bill aimed at penalizing the dissemination of misinformation about victims of sexual slavery during World War II. The bill stipulates up to five years in prison for spreading false information. Exceptions are made for activities related to art, academia, research, and news reporting to protect freedom of expression.
Gender Minister Won Min-kyong emphasized that the amended law will help establish social norms to combat historical distortions and disrespect towards victims. The revised legislation will come into effect three months after its promulgation.
