Oct 06, 2000


Former Korean WWII "Comfort Women" Share Experiences at Barnard Exhibit Opening Oct 6

By Abigail Beshkin

"Comfort women" is a euphemism for women forced to provide sex to the Japanese army during World War II, in military-created brothels. The government-sponsored system of sexual slavery, designed to prevent venereal disease and the disablement of the soldiers, affected roughly 200,000 women, mostly from Korea.

In 1992, many former "comfort women" moved into the House of Sharing in Seoul, South Korea. Founded by Buddhist monk Hye Jin, the House of Sharing is a museum commemorating the experiences of the women, as well as a residence where the women have received art instruction as part of their therapy. Their work will be displayed at Barnard College from Friday, October 6, through Thursday, October 12. An opening night discussion and movie screening will take place this Friday night, October 6, at 6 p.m., Barnard College, 3009 Broadway at 117th Street, 4th Floor (James Room).

Speakers on opening night will include: Soon-Duk Kim, one of the featured artists; Hye Jin, founder of the House of Sharing; Dai Sil Kim-Gibson, director of a documentary film about Korean comfort women, and Rhonda Copelon, law professor at City University of New York.

The exhibition and event are co-sponsored by Barnard College, the East Asian Institute at the School of International and Public Affairs; Young Koreans United, and the New York Alliance for Peace and Reunification of Korea.