Historical Evidence Found of Criminal Punishment of Joseon People for Spreading Rumors Related to Comfort Women During Japanese Occupation
New historical evidence has been discovered indicating that Koreans were criminally punished for spreading rumors related to the mobilization of the Japanese military "comfort women" in 1938.
On the 11th, Yeongam County in Jeollanam-do announced that it had unearthed two court rulings from the Japanese occupation period containing this information.
According to the discovered rulings, the Jangheung Branch of Gwangju District Court imposed criminal penalties on four residents of Yeongam in October 1938 for "spreading malicious rumors and violating the Military Penal Code."
Examining the contents of the rulings, Mr. Yeong Mak-dong (40 years old at the time) and Ms. Song Myeong-sim (43) from Yeongam County were each sentenced to four months in prison, with a two-year probation.
In August 1938, Mr. Yeong told Ms. Song, "I heard that they are recruiting unmarried women and widows aged 12 to 40 to send to Manchuria for the sake of the imperial army's tribute, so many people are getting married after this busy farming season."
Later, Ms. Song discovered that her 15-year-old daughter was included on the list while the village chief was conducting a survey of women in the village.
Ms. Song protested, asking, "My daughter is so small that she could be said to be 10 years old; why was she included on the list? They say all will be sent as comfort women; is that true?" and was subsequently punished.
Attempts to Conceal Comfort Women Mobilization and Punishment of Joseon People
In another case, Ms. Han Man-ok (33) told local resident Mr. Lee Un-seon (59) in August 1938, "(The Japanese) are recruiting young women for the tribute to the imperial army in China."
Upon hearing this information, Mr. Lee told those around him, "If you have a daughter, marry her off quickly. The authorities are recruiting tribute women for the imperial army, and 3 to 4 young women have already been sent to China from the Naju area."
As a result, Ms. Han received a sentence of four months in prison with a two-year probation, while Mr. Lee was sentenced to six months in prison with a three-year probation.
A representative from Yeongam County stated, "After receiving related facts from the 'Martyr and Independence Activist Promotion Association,' we found the court rulings at the National Archives. It is presumed that the Japanese abused judicial power to conceal the reality of comfort women mobilization."
Yeongam County Mayor Woo Seung-hee assessed, "These court rulings reflect the atmosphere of the time when the Japanese even criminally punished individuals for spreading rumors to mobilize comfort women for the Japanese military."
Image source: Copies of court rulings discovered by Yeongam County indicating criminal punishments for spreading rumors about the military's recruitment of comfort women during the Japanese occupation. / Yeongam County, materials for understanding the article / Photo = Insight.
