US military accused of enabling decades-long prostitution network in South Korea

Dozens of South Korean women who worked as prostitutes near US military bases have filed a lawsuit accusing the American military of facilitating the sex trade for decades and forcing women into treatment for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

The lawsuit, announced at a press conference on Monday, demands that the US military apologize and pay damages for its alleged role in managing a widespread prostitution network around its bases in South Korea. Many of the women, who worked in bars and brothels frequented by American soldiers, say they suffered extensive human rights violations.

This is the first time these women have sought to hold the US military directly accountable. Lawyers representing them said the military was “the real culprit” in a state-sponsored system, with some women forced to work inside bases and near field training areas.

One woman, now 66, shared that she was just 16 when she was sold to a procurer who catered to American soldiers.

“The US military was aware that minors like me were brought into the trade through sex trafficking but did nothing to stop it,” she said, speaking anonymously to avoid public shaming.

The women say their plight has long been overlooked by society, unlike the recognition given to women forced into sexual slavery by Japanese soldiers during World War II. Many endured decades of silence and stigma, viewed as a hidden and shameful aspect of South Korea’s alliance with the US.

Legally, the women cannot sue the US military directly. Lawsuits against US troops in South Korea must be filed against the local government. Each plaintiff in the latest suit is seeking 10 million won (around USD 7,200) from the South Korean Justice Ministry, the defendant in the case. Their ultimate goal is to establish the US military’s accountability in court.

The case highlights the long history of so-called “camp towns”, clusters of licensed bars, brothels, and shops created to confine prostitution for US troops stationed in South Korea since the 1950-53 Korean War. Some women were abducted or lured under false pretenses, and all were forced into debt bondage under pimps, according to scholars and court documents.

Although prostitution is illegal in South Korea, women in camp towns were recruited by local officials and US authorities for English and etiquette classes, with officials encouraging them to earn dollars as “patriots.” Documents submitted in court show that the military focused on protecting its troops from STDs, requiring women to be tested twice weekly and monitored through registration cards, numbered badges, and photo files at base clinics.

Women infected with STDs were confined in isolation facilities with barred windows and heavily medicated with penicillin; some reportedly died from penicillin shock. The US military oversaw these measures, with local authorities complicit, according to lawyers representing the women.

While camp towns have largely disappeared with South Korea’s economic development, lawyers say some exploitative practices persisted as late as 2004.