Silence Broken: Korean Comfort Women

by Dai Sil Kim-Gibson

Silence Broken is essentially an oral history of Korean women who were forced into sexual slavery by Japan during World War II. Their stories, told to the author in Korea, China and Japan, are the core of the book. Additional chapters provide readers with contextual and historical information. The stories of these women contain their 'flesh and blood', as one reader put it. In addition to presenting the stories, Kim-Gibson explores their lives before and after forced servitude. Other works focus on their years of servitude.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, War, World War II, Japan, Asia

212 pages, Paperback

First published December 30, 1999

Reviews

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

After 732 Butai, this was what shattered my happy little otaku-ish illusion of Japan. This is where I left my respect for the country of Japan. Like many other nations, Japan is just as much as a tyrant, only now slightly disabled due to its lack of a standing army.

There is also a VERY good documentary, I wish I could recall the name. I think watching it makes it harder, because you SEE the victims and hear the pain in the voices. I think it touches home harder because I am a woman. I couldn't begin to imagine. Then for Japanese history books to call them 'ianfu' the kanji literally meaning 'comfort women' as if they had ANY choice in the matter. No wonder so many SE Asian nations sort of frown on Japan. I'm just glad they have a PM who isn't making frequent visits to Yasukuni anymore.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember hearing about the weekly Wednesday Noon Demonstration while I was in Seoul earlier this year but didn't have a clue what it was about. Shame on me.

Very well written but heartbreaking read, which shared the personal accounts of a dozen or so Korean "comfort women" kidnapped into sexual slavery by the Japanese during WW2. The stories they told were wretched and horrific, all the more disturbing given that despite the many women who have come forward, it has been very difficult to obtain any measure of apology from the Japanese government acknowledging their actions.

This book is dated (2000) and present times indicate that the battle continues, with a recent (as of the time of this review) bit of news here:

http://thediplomat.com/2016/09/south-...

It's difficult to not read this book without crying and feeling anger towards the cruelty inflicted on the innocents during times of war.

[Allison Wonderland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely heartbreaking read. Silence Broken shares the accounts of several Korean comfort women - women forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese in World War II - as well as information about how the Japanese "recruited" the women and the present-day struggles of the survivors to gain apologies and compensation from the Japanese government. This is definitely a go-to book if you want to learn more about the comfort women, but it is far from a dry account. The emotions here are deep, almost fathomless, even as the women talk frankly about the things they saw and experienced. My only complaint is the way that Kim-Gibson organized the informational sections. They are interspersed with the stories of the comfort women, and I think the book would have been better suited to separate them into another section altogether. Still, it is a very small complaint.

[Kaylyn Ahn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredibly powerful book. Dai Sil Kim-Gibson's use of oral history accomplishes what many other books fail to accomplish: humanizing these grandmas. She puts a face to these grandmas and describes their stories in details where a lot of other books detach themselves from. At the same time, she describes the history and treaties after the occupation in between the oral histories for context, which I found very helpful. I would recommend anyone and everyone I know to read this.

[Jara Ket · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is incredibly affecting and does more to educate about, and promote empathy for, the victims of Imperial Japanese sexual slavery than any detached history ever could. The differing experiences and viewpoints of the women, filtered as oral histories through the admittedly subjective frame of the interviewer and author, are in equal parts heart-breaking and inspiring. These are brave women, just on account of their having survived abuse and degradation at the hands of the Japanese and their collaborators and neglect or ostracism from their government, compatriots and families. Some of the most touching stories are in the last few chapters of the book, including one which gives the experiences of an anonymous mother and adult daughter.

Japan continues to dodge full responsibility for its treatment of hundreds of thousands of comfort women. The world (including the West, which allowed Japan and its highest officials to escape culpability for many of its war crimes) owes them the honour of repenting the treatment they suffered and compensating them for the ongoing trauma, poverty and emotional crippling that ensued.

If there are still Wednesday demonstrations outside the Japanese embassy in Seoul the next time I visit, I will be going along to support the grandmas there.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to see this film and meet the author of this book. An incredible story that has finally seen the light of day after many years of suppression. These women embody strength beyond what is humanely possible.

[Laurel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book pierces my heart so I cannot read more than one chapter and then I have to put it down for awhile. What we do to others; what women have endured. I cry.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personal Stories of comfort women. educational and moving.

[Vivian Keh]

useful primary resource material, although the author's commentary was at times grating.