During World War II, the Imperial Japanese Army forced thousands of women and girls into sexual slavery, known as comfort women. The majority of these women were from Korea, but also from other countries such as China, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Indonesia.
The Japanese military established comfort stations or brothels to provide sexual services to their soldiers. The women who were taken as comfort women were often kidnapped or coerced into working at these stations. They were subjected to horrific sexual abuse and violence, and many did not survive.
The exact number of women who were forced into sexual slavery is not known, but estimates range from tens of thousands to as many as 200,000. Many of these women were teenagers, and some were as young as 12 years old.
The issue of comfort women has been a controversial and sensitive topic, and Japan has faced criticism from other countries, particularly South Korea, for its handling of the issue. In recent years, Japan has issued official apologies and compensation to some of the surviving comfort women, but many feel that these actions have not gone far enough in acknowledging the atrocities that were committed.
One of the reasons that the issue of comfort women has been so contentious is that the Japanese government has been slow to acknowledge its role in the abuse. For decades, Japanese officials denied that comfort women existed or claimed that they were volunteers. It was not until the 1990s that the Japanese government began to acknowledge the reality of the situation and issue apologies.
Another reason for the controversy is that many surviving comfort women have demanded a formal apology and compensation from the Japanese government. While some women have received compensation, others have not, and there is still a sense among many that Japan has not fully taken responsibility for its actions.
Source - https://remembercomfortwomen.org/
The issue of comfort women has also caused tension between Japan and other countries, particularly South Korea. Many Koreans feel that Japan has not done enough to make amends for its actions, and the issue has strained relations between the two countries. In recent years, there have been some efforts to address the issue of comfort women. In 2015, Japan and South Korea reached an agreement in which Japan apologized and provided compensation to surviving comfort women. However, the agreement was controversial and criticized by many, including some of the surviving comfort women themselves.
Despite these efforts, the issue of comfort women remains unresolved. Many people continue to demand a formal apology and total compensation from the Japanese government, and the issue remains a contentious one between Japan and its neighbors.
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