San Francisco Frontiers - South Korean women sue US military in landmark prostitution lawsuit

Historians and activists say tens of thousands of South Korean women worked for state-sanctioned brothels from the 1950s to 1980s, serving US troops stationed in 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" such brothels for the US military, ordering it to pay around 120 plaintiffs compensation.

Last week, 117 victims filed a fresh lawsuit, this time officially accusing -- and seeking an apology from -- the US military, for the first time.

"I still cannot forget being beaten by US soldiers -- slapped for lowering my head while pouring drinks, for not smiling, or for no reason at all," one of the plaintiffs, in her 60s and who did not wish to give her name, said in a statement sent to AFP.

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".

"Every night we were dragged to US 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."

- 'Give us an answer' -

In a joint statement, women's rights activists supporting the victims said the US military "ignored the South Korean Constitution" and stripped the women of their personal freedom and "destroyed their lives".

The lawsuit seeks 10 million won ($7,200) in compensation per victim, and is specifically trying to hold the US to account.

"This lawsuit seeks to hold both the South Korean government and the US military authorities jointly liable for the unlawful acts," lawyer Ha Ju-hee told AFP.

The US still stations around 28,500 troops in South Korea to help protect it against nuclear-armed North Korea.

The United States Forces Korea did not respond to AFP's request for comment.

Another victim in her 60s said she was "nearly strangled to death by a US soldier".

"Our government simply handed us over to the US bases -- we were sold off for dollars," she said in a hand-written statement sent to AFP.

"Now we beg you to give us an answer. Why did we have to suffer such things? I want an explanation before I die. I also want an apology. This is why we are filing this lawsuit."

K.Hernandez--SFF