Seoul: Gender Equality Minister Won Min-kyong issued an apology on Saturday to former sex workers whose rights were violated in now-defunct brothels built around American military bases. This marks the government's first official apology to these victims.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Minister Won expressed her remorse to the victims, acknowledging the state's role in violating their human rights at the Gijichon. She conveyed this apology in a message coinciding with International Women's Day, which is observed on Sunday. Minister Won emphasized her commitment to ensuring that the history of these human rights violations is remembered and that the victims are able to live their remaining lives with dignity, seeking to restore their damaged honor.
The apology comes over three and a half years after a Supreme Court decision in 2022 mandated the state to compensate 95 former sex workers. These individuals, who had worked in brothels in villages around U.S. military bases-referred to as "base villages" or "Gijichon" in Korean-were awarded compensation ranging from 3 million to 7 million won (approximately US$2,086 to $4,866) each. The victims had filed a lawsuit in 2014, asserting that the government had facilitated these practices by officially designating such areas and permitting the operations of these establishments, effectively sanctioning prostitution.