When the first survivor, Kim Hak Soon, came forward in 1991 as having been a “comfort woman” for the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II, her testimony inspired countless others to come forward and share their own stories. Today, we call them halmonis, meaning “grandmothers” — a term of endearment in Korea. “Comfort women” was a label coined by the Japanese to imply consent, when in reality, they were either kidnapped or lured by the false pretenses of jobs abroad.
Despite the overwhelming number of testimonies and historical evidence to support their claims, no acceptable apology or legal reparations have been offered by the Japanese government. Still today, Japan has not formally apologized or legally recognized their role in institutionalized sexual slavery during WWII.
Former “comfort woman” Lee Yong Soo continues her activism because she believes “one of the reasons we have so much sexual violence in this world is that the crimes such as those committed by Japan have not been completely resolved. But I am here to tell you in person what happened and what Japan did, because I don’t want to see this happen again to the next generation.”
There are now only 11 survivors remaining.
https://comfortwomenaction.org/
https://comfortwomeneducation.org/
Artist Bios
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Arin Yoon
Arin Yoon is a Korean American documentary photographer and National Geographic Explorer based in Kansas City. Her work focuses on the military community, trauma and healing, notions of family, women and issues of identity and representation. Yoon’s personal work has been featured in National Geographic, NPR, CNN and The New York Times. Her multimedia project, www.tobeatwar.com, which examines the lasting impacts of war through first person narratives from members of the post-9/11 military community, received the 2025 Best of Photojournalism Award- First Place in the Online Video, Presentation and Innovation- Innovation category. The story featured here, ‘The scars of war,’ won First Place in the 2025 Online Story of the Year from Pictures of the Year International. Her work is a part of the public collection at The Archive of Documentary Arts at Duke University. She has exhibited at venues such as the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History in Seoul and the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. Yoon has an MFA in Photography, Video and Related Media from the School of Visual Arts and a BA in Political Science & English Language and Literature from The University of Chicago. See more of her work at www.arinyoon.com.
Organizations
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Photoville
Founded in 2011 in Brooklyn, NY, Photoville was built on the principles of addressing cultural equity and inclusion, which we are always striving for, by ensuring that the artists we exhibit are diverse in gender, class, and race.
In pursuit of its mission, Photoville produces an annual, city-wide open air photography festival in New York City, a wide range of free educational community initiatives, and a nationwide program of public art exhibitions.
By activating public spaces, amplifying visual storytellers, and creating unique and highly innovative exhibition and programming environments, we join the cause of nurturing a new lens of representation.
Through creative partnerships with festivals, city agencies, and other nonprofit organizations, Photoville offers visual storytellers, educators, and students financial support, mentorship, and promotional & production resources, on a range of exhibition opportunities.
For more information about Photoville visit, www.photoville.com
The Legacy of Korean “Comfort Women” and Their Continued Fight for Justice
Featuring: Arin Yoon
Curated by: Arin Yoon Photoville
Locations
View Location Details Brooklyn Bridge Park – Pier 2146 Furman Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
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