Feminist Solidarities Toward a Demilitarized Pacific: Event Recap
๐๐๐๐๐จ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ช๐ป๐ท๐ฒ๐ท๐ฐ ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฌ๐ต๐ฎ: ๐๐ฎ๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ๐ท๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ป๐ธ๐ถ ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฎ ๐๐ช๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฌ Recap
We are still buzzing from the energy, solidarity, and knowledge that was generated and shared during our Learning Circle hosted by GYOPO. Over seventy people gathered to learn about the intertwined legacies of militarized prostitution under Japanese colonialism and US occupation in Korea, the experiences and activism of camptown women in Korea, and the landmark lawsuit launched in 2025 by 117 Korean women against the U.S. military for gender-based violence and human rights abuses in military camptowns.
Prof. Jinah Kim gave us crucial knowledge about the significance of the lawsuit and the historical events that preceded this most recent action taken by Korean women against the U.S. military and the Korean government. She situated us within the larger context of the U.S. role in Korean politics, diplomacy, and war in the peninsula. Her presentation enriched the syllabus she co-created with Dr. Okazawa-Rey, GYOPO, Nodutdol, and Women Cross DMZ.
Activist-educator Dr. Okazawa-Rey led us through an interactive discussion to bear witness to the history of gender-based and class-based violence against women in Korea, and consider our individual and collective positionality within the struggle for Korean women to receive accountability from the U.S. military and preserve the history of camptowns in Korea. We shared stories, met new people, asked questions, and posed possibilities for organizing toward a demilitarized Asia-Pacific. She prompted us to discuss and write down the possibilities and values we each hold in relation to each other and the current stakes of the Korean camptown womenโs lawsuit.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to speakers Dr. Jinah Kim, Dr. Margo Okazawa-Rey, co-sponsor Nodutdol, and our generous host GYOPO, and Soren and Nahmi of Korea Peace Now. Our free syllabus accompanying this event is now live here. Thank you to everyone who joined us, and stay tuned to our page as we continue to support the Korean women who launched their lawsuit last year against the U.S. military.
โ๏ธ Written by Alison Choi
๐ธ Photos by Angeline Woo