深刻で重たいテーマ

『韓国人元慰安婦、韓国政府と米軍を告発　ＮＹタイムズ紙（MSN産経 - 2009年1月8日）』という産経が「慰安婦」という言葉の定義をまったく知らないことが露呈された記事がありましたが、その元になったNYTの記事 "Ex-Prostitutes Say South Korea and U.S. Enabled Sex Trade Near Bases (New York Times - "January 7, 2009) に言及があった本を買いました。

Sex Among Allies: Military Prostitution in U.S.-Korea Relations

読んでいくうちに、「慰安婦」問題と同様に、非常に深刻な「軍と売春」の問題であることがわかってきました。詳細は読み終わってからにしようと思いますが、今まで読んだ中で、気になった記述をとりあえず抜き出しておきます。

　U.S. military-oriented prostitution in Korea is not simply a matter of women walking the streets and picking up U.S. soldiers for a few bucks. It is a system that is sponsored and regulated by governments, Korean and American (through the U.S. military). The U.S. military and the Korean government have referred to such women as "bar girls," "hostesses," "special entertainers," "businesswomen," and "comfort women." Korean have also called these women the highly derogatory names, yanggalbo (Western whore) and yangogongju (Western princess). As this study reveals, both governments have viewed such prostitution as a means to advance the "friendly relations" of both contries and to keep U.S. soldiers, "who fight so hard for the freedom of the South Korea people," happy.*1

(page 1-2. emphasis added)

*1:See Chapter 1 on statements made by ROK National Assemblymen regarding U.S.-oriented camptown prostitution.