“Kim was taken by a Korean proprietor couple via Shanghai for a spell of two-and-a-half years at the front. Second Lieutenant Izumi took a fancy to her, called her to his quarters and was able to arrange for her to accompany him wherever he moved. He taught her writing and arithmetic, and in 1940 finally arranged for her safe trip home with four other women. He then wrote her twice monthly, declaring his love and promising to reunite with her ‘after victory’. She wrote back and sent him comfort parcels. Defeat spoiled their plans and, ostracised by her fellow-villagers, she moved to Seoul and became a married man’s mistress. She bore a son, who in turn gave her two grandchildren. She never revealed her past, but when the comfort women issue started to be publicised, she raised the matter with her daughter-in-law and niece. They tried to dissuade her from carrying it further, but she insisted. She found it a great relief to unburden her han, the constantly recurring Korean word for long-held rancour. Her approach, however, differed from that of the campaigning women’s groups. She regards the Japanese government as now responsible only for compensating Japanese comfort women. She contends that the South Korean government should care for its own citizens. (pp. 81-82, The Comfort Women, George Hicks)
With the Treaty of Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea signed in June 1965, South Korea received US$800 million from Japan in the form of grant and loan (per capita GDP of South Korea in 1965: US$106, World Bank) to settle all the claims between the two countries finally and completely. The South Korean government never raised the issue during the treaty negotiations and did not use any part of the money it received for its former comfort women. Why? That’s because South Koreans didn’t see they were an issue at all.
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