House of Sharing

Yesterday we visited the House of Sharing in Gwangju. The House of Sharing is the residence of eight Korean survivors of systematic rape enforced by the Japanese empire during their occupation of east and southeast Asia beginning in the late 1930s and lasting up until the end of World War II. It is estimated that between 20,000 and 80,000 women were taken from their homes to "comfort houses" where they were raped by as many as 40 Japanese soldiers a day. The House of Sharing is also home to an impressive museum which details these seldom discussed horrors of history and pays tribute to the women who have come forward to share their stories.

Soon after arriving, our group was shown a documentary featuring one of the first and most outspoken "Halmonies" (the honorific name given to survivors of the travesties meaning grandmother in Korean) of the house of sharing. She had made it her life's mission to see that the Japanese government concede to their demands which include compensation, a formal apology, a memorial, the release of all documentation relating to forced sexual slavery and to be written into the history books. She was among the crowd gathered every Wednesday afternoon outside the Japanese Embassy in Seoul to protest. During her time living at the House of Sharing, she took up painting as a form of therapy. She stated in the documentary that it was her wish to paint a picture that would depict the punishment of the Japanese government. Here is the finished product:

Later we visited the museum, where we were guided by two English speaking volunteers. They explained that the "comfort houses" came about as a result of the Rape of Nanking which drew ire from the rest of the world. The Japanese government believed that rape was a necessity of war, but needed to find a way to keep it out of international newspapers. Also, they looked for a way to stop the spreading of sexually transmitted infections. Their solution was to create designated rape areas, or "comfort houses," occupied by women and young girls brought in against their will. One survivor noted that the most humiliating aspect was when a rape had reached its conclusion, as each time she was ordered to remove the condom and wash the man's penis to stop the spread of STIs.

Replica of the inside of a "comfort house"

Women that did become infected were often treated by having a hot iron rod inserted into her vagina. Doctors made weekly visits and if a woman were to become pregnant, the unborn child would be aborted through any number of inhumane means. Our guide in the museum read us a letter from a survivor who recounted women's bellies being sliced open, and babies murdered after birth.

Many students, including Japanese visit the House of Sharing and leave mementos.

After touring the museum, we participated in a small group discussion. One of the things we talked about was the role of women in Korean society today. Korea has the world's 12th largest economy, yet in terms of women's impact in the job market, it ranks 131st. In many cases, women are pushed by their parents to marry for wealth and status, rather choosing a life partner based on love, respect, and emotional connection.

Although the halmonies continue to protest every week, it seems little progress is being made, and that Korean society in general is reluctant to join in with their full support, almost as if they would rather forget and erase the past entirely. In 1965 the Japanese government paid a large sum of money to Korea as reparations for horrendous acts. Instead of dispersing the funds to victims of the occupation, the Korean government used it to build up the economy and fund the enormous and sprawling infrastructure that stands today.

There is no doubt that the Japanese reparations jumpstarted Korea's economic comeback. However, I cannot help but think that the decision to ignore the suffering of so many women is in step with a larger societal role in Korea where women are viewed as less than equal.

During the discussion, I tried to bring up the point that the Unites States has it's own dark history with women's and civil rights. However, it wasn't until the group itself, be it suffrigetes or African Americans, stepped forward and refused to be ignored, that real change was achieved.

Do women in Korea really wish to change things? I sometimes wonder if many are happy with their position in life. I really don't know. Through the work of the halmonies, lets hope that Korea as a whole looks back to the dark past, in an effort to create a brighter future.

After the tour and discussion, we had the opportunity to meet some of the halmonies. Some of the more talented tourists sang and danced for them.

For more information on the House of Sharing, visit www.houseofsharing.org