Yonsei University professor refers to comfort women as “prostitutes”  

Posted on : 2019-09-23 17:18 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
Students rally to call for Lew Seok-choon’s resignation
Lew Seok-choon
Lew Seok-choon

A backlash is erupting after it was learned that Lew Seok-choon, a Yonsei University professor of sociology and former head of the Liberty Korea Party (LKP) reform committee, said in a class that comfort women were “prostitutes.” Yonsei alumni and students pledged to “fight until he is dismissed,” while the group Justice for the Comfort Women hinted at a possible legal response.

In a Sept. 22 statement, an organization calling itself “Yonseiites Demanding the Immediate Dismissal of Professor Lew Seok-choon” – including past members of the school’s student council and current members of the Lee Han Yeol Memorial Museum group – called on Yonsei University to “immediately dismiss Professor Lew, who is acting as a sycophant to Japanese far-right figures.” In their statement, they said, “We cannot conceal our horror at such a shameful thing as Professor Lew’s misstatements taking place at our alma mater, with its proud history of resisting imperial Japanese rule and dictatorship.” They also promised to “hold a signature campaign for [Lew’s] dismissal on and off campus, protest visits to the university president, and campus candlelight rallies until Yonsei University decides to dismiss Professor Lew.”

The Yonsei student council also said it “strongly denounce[s] Professor Lew’s statements” and planned to “raise the matter at the regular central steering committee meeting on Sept. 23 and pursue all available response measures.” It additionally asked for “reports of any additional abuses [by Lew] from students who have attended his classes.”

Justice for the Comfort Women said it planned to pursue a legal response. In a statement that day, the group said, “Yonsei University must dismiss Professor Lew Seok-choon immediately, and Professor Lew should apologize for the infringement of human rights suffered by the victims.”

“We will examine all available means of ensuring that the dignity and human rights of victims of the Japanese military’s sexual slavery system are no longer infringed upon, including a legal response,” the group said.

The Yonsei University articles of association state that cases of “acts damaging to prestige as faculty members, whether within or outside the scope of duties” may result in a faculty disciplinary committee meeting being held and disciplinary action being taken. On Sept. 23, Yonsei University apologized for Lew’s comments, adding that an ethic committee would be investigating the appropriateness of his lectures. Meanwhile, the course in question has been suspended.

While discussing the legacy of pro-Japanese collaboration in Korea during a development sociology class on Sept. 19, Lew said, “It is only in South Korea that Japan is treated as an ‘outrageous’ country. Japan is a global power.”

“It seems like you may mistake me for being pro-Japanese, and you’re right. I am pro-Japanese,” he said at the time.

Lew also said the comfort women were “similar” to prostitutes.

“Why do [sex workers] prostitute themselves? Because life is difficult. It was the same in the past [during the Japanese occupation],” he said.

When a student argued that the comfort women survivors were “tricked by Japanese claims that they would be educated,” Lew said, “That’s exactly how the process leading into prostitution works today. Even now, young women end up working as hostesses because someone tells them, ‘All you have to do is pour drinks for well-mannered customers.’”

“If you’re curious, why don’t you try it?” he then asked the student.

Lew also said that “key figures in Jeongdaehyeop [the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan, predecessor group to Justice for the Comfort Women] are officials from the Unified Progressive Party.”

“That group is very likely to have ties to North Korea,” he said.

By Oh Yeon-seo, staff reporter

Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]

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