On June 19, the Korean Council joined the press conference as a member of the Joint Action Committee to Stop the Demolition of Dongducheon’s Old STD Management Center. The press conference urged President Lee Jae-myung to fulfill his promise to preserve this historically significant site.
The Old STD Management Center in Dongducheon was a facility established to treat sexually transmitted diseases among U.S. military "comfort women" (Kijichon) women, located near U.S. military bases across South Korea. These centers, under the guise of disease control, became sites of institutional violence, where women were forced to sacrifice their bodies and dignity for profit. While all such centers in other regions have been demolished, the Dongducheon building remains the only one still standing in South Korea—and the only one of its kind left in the world.
The issue of human rights violations against U.S. military "comfort women" is fundamentally connected to the Japanese military sexual slavery system. The system reproduced the structures of exploitation used by the Japanese military, where women’s bodies were treated as tools under powerful state and military control. Victims from both systems were deprived of their rights and freedom under the name of “management.”
During his tenure as Governor of Gyeonggi Province, President Lee Jae-myung once stated, “The issue of Kijichon women (U.S. military "comfort women") is the most serious one after the Japanese military sexual slavery issue. It has long been overlooked, with little research or support provided.” His remarks demonstrated a clear understanding of the seriousness of the issue.
Dongducheon’s Old STD Management Center is not just a building. It is a living historical witness to the violence, discrimination, and alienation suffered by women. It must be preserved as a space to confront past injustices and promote dialogue on women’s rights, peace, and the state's responsibilities.
On June 19, the Korean Council joined the press conference as a member of the Joint Action Committee to Stop the Demolition of Dongducheon’s Old STD Management Center. The press conference urged President Lee Jae-myung to fulfill his promise to preserve this historically significant site.
The Old STD Management Center in Dongducheon was a facility established to treat sexually transmitted diseases among U.S. military "comfort women" (Kijichon) women, located near U.S. military bases across South Korea. These centers, under the guise of disease control, became sites of institutional violence, where women were forced to sacrifice their bodies and dignity for profit. While all such centers in other regions have been demolished, the Dongducheon building remains the only one still standing in South Korea—and the only one of its kind left in the world.
The issue of human rights violations against U.S. military "comfort women" is fundamentally connected to the Japanese military sexual slavery system. The system reproduced the structures of exploitation used by the Japanese military, where women’s bodies were treated as tools under powerful state and military control. Victims from both systems were deprived of their rights and freedom under the name of “management.”
During his tenure as Governor of Gyeonggi Province, President Lee Jae-myung once stated, “The issue of Kijichon women (U.S. military "comfort women") is the most serious one after the Japanese military sexual slavery issue. It has long been overlooked, with little research or support provided.” His remarks demonstrated a clear understanding of the seriousness of the issue.
Dongducheon’s Old STD Management Center is not just a building. It is a living historical witness to the violence, discrimination, and alienation suffered by women. It must be preserved as a space to confront past injustices and promote dialogue on women’s rights, peace, and the state's responsibilities.