Gender Equality Minister Won Min-kyong issued South Korea's first official government apology to former sex workers whose rights were violated in brothels around U.S. military bases. The statement was released on the eve of International Women's Day.
Gender Equality Minister Won Min-kyong issued an apology on Saturday to former sex workers whose rights were violated in now-defunct brothels built around American military bases in South Korea. This marks the government's first official apology, delivered in a message ahead of International Women's Day on Sunday.
"As the gender minister dealing with gender equality and women's rights, I offer my sincere apologies to the victims for the state's actions that violated their human rights at the Gijichon," Won said. She added, "We will make every effort necessary to ensure that the history of human rights violations suffered by the victims is not forgotten and that they live the rest of their lives with dignity and fully restore their damaged honor."
The apology comes more than three-and-a-half years after the Supreme Court in 2022 ordered the state to pay between 3 million and 7 million won ($2,086-$4,866) in compensation each to a total of 95 former sex workers from brothels in villages around U.S. military bases, known as "base villages" or "Gijichon" in Korean. The victims filed the suit in 2014, claiming the government had abetted such practices by systemically designating such areas, allowing establishments to operate and thus virtually allowing prostitution.
This development represents an official acknowledgment by the South Korean government of past human rights issues related to these facilities.
