My research examines the longstanding issue of sexual exploitation in ‘Camp-towns’ around US military bases in South Korea. I contextualize the history of trafficking and exploitation by Japanese colonialism and the US military during the Korean War to current issues of the trafficking of migrant women. I do so by following a longstanding local NGO, ‘Durebang: My Sister’s Place’, and their work with trafficked women since 1986. My article compares their work between the 1980s and the early 2000s with their current work helping migrant Phillipina women in Korea. It argues that xenophobia and negative attitudes toward migrant workers have hampered efforts to combat the ongoing sexual exploitation of migrant women who have become the new victims in revamped camp towns. Most importantly, it highlights the evolving work of Durebang to support these migrant women through shelters, education, and international advocacy.
My most up-to-date writing on the topic can be found HERE!
