[sample translations]so jae weon, that day eng by LTI Korea Library

Sample Translations

Jae-weon So That Day E ng l i s h

Book Information

That Day (그날) KPI Publishing corp. / 2014 / 31 p. / ISBN 9788962606829 For further information, please visit: http://library.klti.or.kr/node/772

This sample translation was produced with support from LTI Korea. Please contact the LTI Korea Library for further information. library@klti.or.kr

That Day Written by So Jae-weon

Pages 42-50

Han Gi-jun walked out the main entrance. The chirping of the birds sounded cheerful. Unlike when he had hastily entered, the surrounding scenery came into his view this time. Directly facing him, he saw the statue of the girl named, “A flower that did not get to blossom.” Underneath the figure of a girl neatly dressed in a hanbok,1 there were the statues of women who left behind their unjustly damaged lives. On both sides of the girl’s statue, photos were placed of the witnesses to the painful history, as well as a faithful record of their time. Straight ahead of the statues was a semi-circular plaza. Standing before the plaza, she gazed at the statue of the silent girl and her friends who had lived through difficult years. He could not do the interview. He needed to take out his notebook but it remained in his pocket. Unlike his mind that urged him onward, his hand refused to budge. As he would not say anything, she spoke first. “They all felt like part of me. That may be the reason why I couldn’t stop the tears each time one of them died, not to mention how unjust and embittering it was. He couldn’t quite bring himself to say anything. He wanted to ask questions but couldn’t. Asking her anything felt like a crime to him. Unlike him who remained silent, she spoke without reserve. “We had to deal with many, many men each day. On some days, we had to bear the 1

Traditional Korean clothing.

smell of over thirty men’s sweat. Even though our down below area was all damaged and in pain, we couldn’t get any treatment. But still we couldn’t refuse a single soldier; otherwise, we’d have been beheaded.” He could feel her trembling. Although her hands were folded in a tight fist, her arms and legs were shaking, like a quivering leaf in the wind. In spite of himself, he almost said, “I am sorry.” At the moment his mouth opened to utter the word, he bit his lower lip to prevent it from coming out. As though she sensed his desire to know, she continued. “There was a girl who died as soon as we got there. I don’t even know her name. I should’ve asked but didn’t. She asked to be sent back and a Japanese officer pulled out his big sword and cut her head off.” He couldn’t hold back and uttered, “Oh my God!” and was grief-stricken. It was as if her trembling was transferred to him. His arms and legs were shaking but he devoted all his attention to her. She swallowed the pangs of her sorrow, as tears welled up in her eyes. “The Japanese did it as though it was nothing to them. They didn’t even show an iota of guilt and they just picked up her head and giggled to themselves. There was no one who let out a scream. It was that terrifying. Right away, a private came and dragged away the head and the body. Holding the sword with dripping blood, the officer said, ‘This will be your fate when you offend the soldiers of the Japanese Empire. It’s nothing to slice off the heads of you bitches. Anyone who debases the morale of the troops of the Japanese Empire will get their head cut off.’ Is asking to be sent back an insult? Is that debasing their morale?” Her sorrow was not simple sorrow. It was an emotion that embodied rage, rancor, and grief. Her feelings seeped through to his body. He pictured the ruthless Japanese officer. His heart began to throb and rage enveloped his whole being. The wrath within was going to become a roar. He wanted to write an article about it this very moment. He wanted to vanquish the brutal atrocities of the Japanese with the sacred pen. But he did not put these

feelings into action. A roar of rage and the pen of justice were only possible in his imagination. It was not from his being cowardly. He was afraid. Once he felt her anxiety and fear, he could not speak or make any sound although he had not suffered through that period. While her convulsions got more intense, she did not stop talking. It looked as though she was trying to overcome it by spitting something out. “I had to survive. I couldn’t die if I wanted to see my betrothed again. That’s the reason why I had to satiate every one of the filthy Japanese bastards who came to me. Even if I became dirtied, I couldn’t die like that. Because I had to see my betrothed again. When the Japanese soldiers were roaring like beasts and going berserk, making all kinds of strange demands, I complied with them. Because I needed to survive. Although it was cowardly and debasing, I had to survive.”

After Seo Su-cheol was forcibly conscripted by the Japanese, his father died from remorse and the deterioration of his health. The villagers kept their mouths shut about what had happened to his family. People were afraid it would bring ruin to their family if they disclosed it or were rumored to have done so. The village, in which people had looked after each other in the past, had now become a place where dialogue broke off and everyone was wary of each other. It was the same with Oh Sun-deok’s father. He did not share his frustration with anyone. All he could do was to drink in solace to compensate for losing his bosom friend and harbor feelings of distress for his daughter who was deprived of her betrothed. The little village had become devastated and barren. Oh Sun-deok sought out to pray to the gods of heaven and earth each morning before dawn to supplicate for his safe return from the battlefield. She dedicated herself to a devotional prayer by the tree that guarded the well where she had been proposed to. She prayed endlessly, to the point of forgetting herself.

It was three months after he had left that she began praying, as well as also marking three months since her father started drinking. She was on her way back home after her prayer that she wouldn’t have missed for anything. For some odd reason, her father was not alone but drinking with company, the village head. Her father greeted her warmly when she came in. “Come here, Sun-deok and listen to what the village Elder has to say. There appears to be a way to get your betrothed back.” Her eyes became wide open. The good tidings, which she received as she walked into her yard, made her sit down on the wooden floor (maru). Emptying his cup, the village head patted her on the shoulder. “It looks like Su-cheol is in Manchuria. That’s a dangerous place. The Independence fighters are there and lots of men from Qing China, so a lot of Japanese soldiers get killed.” She didn’t like the beginning of his talk and interrupted him. “So how can I save him? Is there a way? Tell me the most important thing.” The village head filled his cup and gazed at Sun-deok who looked at him with sparkling eyes. He clucked his tongue and said, “If you have money, it’s possible. But it’s impossible to come up with money in our village. You should know, even if we collected all the money of the village, it wouldn’t amount to 50 won.” She interrupted him again. “I know, I know! I know it takes money. Aren’t you going to tell me how I can earn the money?” The village head nodded, smiling. She quickly asked again, “How can I earn the money?” Gulping down his drink, he said, “There is a garment factory where they make military uniforms. If you go there, you can earn a lot of money. They make boots there, too,

and you are pretty good at sewing. There aren’t that many men in our village and several of us have already decided to send a number of girls to the factory so as to bring Su-cheol back. Dal-lae and a few others are going so you should go with them.” For the first time in three months, her face regained its rosy vigor. She put on a silly smile and said, “Thank you. All of us in the village are thankful to you.” She got up and gave him a big bow from the yard. Her father, too, politely presented him with a cigarette. Revealing his stained teeth, he laughed out loud, “Don’t mention it. Are we strangers? We should help each other out. Work hard for just a few months. I’ve already made a request to the Japanese not to overexert him. When you have the money, I can talk to someone high up to get him quickly out; so don’t worry and prepare to leave tomorrow.” With the cigarette in his mouth, the village head left. Kneeling down, she did not stop bowing to him, saying thank you continually until he was no longer visible from her yard.

Han Gi-jun’s jaw was all tense. His mind was far away from the questions he had prepared in his notebook. His heart and body were aflame with rage. He could only let out a curt sound, coupled with a sigh during her story and he could not allow himself any other gesture. He then realized something. She was not just telling a story. She was still carrying on a devastating struggle with the memory of her past. “Deceived by the words of the village Elder, eight of us from our village ended up going. One went to Singapore, one to Taiwan, and another went to Burma. We were all scattered and I was taken to Manchuria. I didn’t find out until later but all of them had died. Some died of syphilis, others got mercury treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, but they all died. Money? The Japanese did give us some slip but there was not a young woman who received any money. And all of them, all of them…” She couldn’t continue. Her heart was weighed down by something that was very

heavy. In order to lift the weight off her heart, she clutched her chest. It did no good and she started pounding on herself. It was useless. Her legs gave out and she collapsed. He cautiously put his hand on her shoulder. He wanted to comfort her in any way. He could feel her shoulders heaving severely. He could sense that at the heart of her bitterness and repression, it was the unacceptable sense of injustice. With great strain, she tried to spit out the suffocating emotion that was weighing her down.

“There was no one there who came knowing she was going to be a ‘comfort woman’ for the Japanese army. Not a single person, truly not one person came willingly, knowing they had to engage in prostitution for the Japanese soldiers. Absolutely no one.”

Pages 116-146

Oh Sun-deok was forcibly taken to Manchuria. Once she was there, it was too late to feel any regret. The maidens, who left together from her village, became all scattered. She was put on a truck with young women whom she had never met before. She could feel something was amiss even before she left. The war continued throughout the day and night. When she got to Manchuria, it was deep in the night and she could hear the sound of explosions in different places. The night sky was illuminated each time there was an explosion. She heard, too, the screaming of the young women who were in the truck with her. She too screamed and crouched down, covering her ears. The truck drove on an unpaved road for a long time. The explosion of the artillery

shells, which sounded like thunder, numbed the ears. All the screaming made the voice hoarse and made everyone bereft of any vigor. The trunk suddenly came to a halt. Outside, the thick voices of cheering men were heard. In addition to the explosion of the cannonballs, the Japanese troop’s horrible shrieking created an eerie sound. The young women exchanged looks. They felt an ominous prescience. They could tell instinctively that it wasn’t a garment factory they had come to. They had come there for different reasons but they all felt the same unnerving premonition. The tent disclosed the dark section in the back. The sinister men, wearing Japanese military uniforms, let out a roar like beasts and glared with maniacal looks at the young women as though they were going to devour them. A Japanese soldier came in swiftly. Speaking in Japanese, he scrutinized the faces of the young women. After taking a look at all thirty young women, the Japanese soldier stopped in front of one. “It’s this bitch.” The Japanese troops outside shouted all together at the sound of the man’s cry. In a harsh manner, the Japanese soldier snatched the young woman’s hair and brought her to her feet. She screamed and tried to fend off his hand. At her strong resistance, he punched her face with his thick fist. She instantly fell to the ground. He then savagely tore off the young woman’s top clothes. She let out another scream. The Japanese soldier resorted to the same action as when the young woman screamed earlier. The blood spurted out from her mouth after he punched her. He undid his trousers. With the spread legs of the Japanese soldier as a signal, the Japanese troops who were standing outside went after the young women they had already picked out. Heartbreakingly desperate cries were heard everywhere. Each time, the unrelenting violence of the Japanese soldiers followed. Two Japanese soldiers also attacked Oh Sun-deok. One of them shoved his face in

her breasts. With all her might, she tried to resist him with both her hands. The other soldier grabbed her from behind and held her arms. She lifted her legs up and kicked the face of the soldier who flung himself at her. The Japanese soldier, who got knocked down to the extent of his chin turning sideways, checked his chin first. Moving his jaw up and down, his face became distorted. As with the other young women, ruthless violence was what ensued. Oh Sun-deok was kicked in the stomach by the heavy army boots of the Japanese soldier. She felt like suffocating. A dense blow landed in the back of her head. She felt delirious and her vision became blurry. Losing the strength in her legs, she collapsed on the ground. Her skirt was being taken off but there was no strength in her body. Her groin hurt. The cry of the beasts faded away. She fainted. When Oh Sun-deok regained her consciousness, she found herself in the barracks. The womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bodies were all bare. Their cries filled the barracks while they tried to scrunch to conceal their bodies. She, too, quickly curled up her body that began to ache in all the different areas. The most painful part was that she was robbed of her virginity. Traces of blood were on her thigh after her hymen was torn. Tears poured down. She understood why everyone was crying. They were the tears of disbelief from their self-same reality that was brutally unjust and unbelievable. The thought of Seo Su-cheol came to her mind. All she wanted was just to make money so that she could rescue her betrothed. Or rather, she had no idea as to why he was dragged away. It was incomprehensible to her why one was forced to give their iron bowls to the invaders of Joseon Korea, of which they were going to use them as material to make guns and swords to kill people. She simply did not want to take part in the killing of people. The men who were either the son or the father of someone, wanted to protect their family from the actions of the

Japanese who had invaded Korea and therefore to efface them out of at least their consciousness. He was just a father who could not commit a crime. He had acted in such a way because he was not evil. His action was derived from his desire to save the life of someone. Enraged with someone being battered, he had simply wanted to prevent the devils from doing their violence. But then his just behavior turned into an unlawful crime. He had to resort to guns and knives to fight the Japanese who had invaded Joseon. And she had to accept this inhumane situation and only to save her betrothed, she agreed to work in a factory. She was told it was a factory, most definitely a factory, by all the other people, including the village head, of whom she had met before she came here. The young women, who had come together with her, had also been all told that they were going to be working in a factory. It was unthinkable. Something they had not thought of, even in the figment of their imagination, was taking place. Most of them were maidens. There was not a single woman who knew about it. Almost all the young women, who were shedding tears like her, had a cruel trace of blood marks on their groin, indicating they were all virgins. She could not believe it. She wanted to bite her tongue and die. She could not bear her shame. She remembered when her betrothed had brought her the dried persimmons. He told her to eat them when she had an upset stomach since she was prone to frequent diarrhea because she had a lot of heat in her body. The finely-dried persimmons, which she had quite finished eating, were still in her room. She was also reminded of when she was bedridden with fever. It was also the night when she thought the night air felt cool. It was the night when the nocturnal stars poured down on her. It was a chilly night but instead she remembered it as the night that refreshingly

cooled the heat of her body. Wiping the tears, her betrothed had smiled at her when her fever went down and she regained her rosy complexion and she had thought how handsome he was. Please don’t be sick, please don’t be sick, I beg you, don’t be sick—was what he had beseeched to her until the dawn arrived. She recalled the day of her birthday. It had been a year of famine. It was a time when people barely survived. The whole village shared and rationed food but there were occasionally those who starved to death. It was a birthday when she couldn’t hope to eat the traditional seaweed soup, or let alone a barley meal. Her betrothed came to her family’s house in the early morning when everyone was still asleep. Quietly and surreptitiously, he called out her name from outside the door, “Sundeok! Sun-deok!” He said her name in such a quiet voice that he had to call out for a long time. It wasn’t until the sparrows chirped and the morning sun made its entrance into her room that her ears began to respond. She opened the door with sleepy eyes. Her betrothed was sitting on the edge of the wooden floor between the rooms. Taken by surprise, he stepped back with his eyes wide open. When she was about to ask him what he was up to, he urgently sent her signal to remain quiet. He was holding a bundle in his hand. He waved to her to step out of the house. In order not to awaken her family, she walked on her tiptoes toward him. Grabbing her hand, he brought her to the back of her house. “Here, take it. It’s your birthday.” He put the bundle in her hand. “What is it?” She could feel the warmth of the bundle. She opened it. It was a white rice cake. “Eat it. I brought it from ten li2 away. There’s a famine and we have nothing to eat but I couldn’t just let your birthday go by. It’s not much but go on, eat.” 2

A traditional Korean unit equal to about 0.4 kilometers.

“Where did you get this?” To elicit her praise, he told her the story of his past few days. “I went to the nearby village and did some treatment. Thankfully, they had a little rice remaining. I sold some medicinal herbs and treated a calf that couldn’t stand on its hooves. And there is a curmudgeonly old man who fell from his horse and injured his back. Since I’ve studied acupuncture, I treated him day and night. He was so cantankerous and whiny that I wanted to stick a gigantic needle on the crown of his head. But I gave him very caring treatment and he was able to move somewhat. Consequently, I was able to get some rice. How fortunate it is that I can celebrate your birthday like this.” She glared at him. He seemed exhausted but did not look weary. In contrast to him, her face turned stiff. She made fists and pounded on his chest. “What’s happened to your face? You call yourself a traditional medical practitioner but don’t know how tired you are? Who asked you to get me this? You take it with you and eat it yourself. I don’t want it.” She forced the rice cake onto his hand and panting, turned away toward the house. His hand obstructed her move. “What’s the matter? It’s your birthday. Come on. Please eat it. What can I do if you behave like that? Please eat it. I came to you, without a wink of sleep.” She turned around fiercely and gave him a frightening glare. “Who asked you to bring me this? How can you be so idiotic? How can I possibly eat this? Why does a traditional medical practitioner treat a calf? Why do you have to put up with the bad temper of a cantankerous old man? I know that old man. He is so ill-tempered that he’s known even in our village. Shouldn’t you let such an old man just die instead of going through such hardship for the rice cake?” The reputation of the old man was well-known. He went around on his horse,

harassing all kinds of people. He was originally a man of low birth who used to take care of the feces for a household. When the Japanese began stealing people’s land one by one, he was the first one to collaborate with them, helping them to buy out the land within the area of thirty li at a cheap price and using the principal and interest. And all his evil deeds did not end there. With the help of the Japanese, he took the lead in the forced conscription of young men from several villages. Having accrued wealth in that manner, he did not share it anyone. He spent his money on his mistresses and kisaeng3, living a luxurious life of drinking, dancing, and music. He was infamous for treating his servants in the most horrific manner so that many of them could not bear it long and ran away. He made them work at all hours, not to mention forcing them in the early dawn when there was still moonlight and ordering them to swear an oath of allegiance to the Japanese Emperor. She could easily surmise how much hardship he had to put up with in the old man’s house. He couldn’t say anything more after finding out how well she knew about the old man. “You eat it all, Elder Brother. Because I won’t. How can you think of bringing me the rice cake after all that hard work? How can you possibly imagine I would eat it?” “But Sun-deok, it’s your birthday. Please just take a bite in consideration of my efforts.” He took a small bit off the rice cake and tried to feed it to her. She turned away. “How could I? I’m thankful for your efforts but I am angry that you gave treatment to such an evil old man.” “Please eat it. It’s getting cold.” “No!” He was at utter loss as to what to do. He pleaded plaintively, “Please just a small bite.” 3

A former Korean caste of female entertainers.

Unlike just a few moments ago, the smile vanished from his face and was replaced with haggardness. Without being told, she could sense how much of an ordeal he went through. She felt a lump in her throat. She brushed off his hand and turned away so that he couldn’t see her face. “What makes me even more angry is that your face looks terrible. You look so gaunt. It makes me feel terrible. If I were to eat the rice cake like this, I’m afraid I’ll get indigestion. You eat all of it, go home and get a good night’s sleep.” She turned to go back into her house. He stepped in front of her. “I am sorry. I am really sorry. But there was nothing I could do for you. The rice bin is empty and I didn’t want to let your birthday pass without doing anything. Didn’t I promise you? That I would provide you with three hearty meals? What if I have to treat an old man and people criticize me? What if they point a finger at me? What if I have to get a little less sleep? I am happy if your stomach is full. So please eat. I am begging you.” She collapsed on the ground, and covered her face. He dropped to the ground, too. “Here, just one bite. It’s already cold.” He put the rice cake near her mouth. She suddenly embraced him. “Elder Brother, please don’t do this. Don’t ever do this again. Don’t you know how my heart is pained when you do something like this? So what if you become a practitioner and cure me when it is my heart that aches. And there is no remedy for an ailing heart. So please don’t do this again.” “Is it tasty?” “Yes, it is.” “Here, eat some more.” “You eat some, too.” “All right.”

“Elder Brother?” “Yes?” “It’s okay if I have to skip meals because you’re more precious to me.” “Sun-deok, didn’t I tell you I’m going to give you my pure love? And what that means is I am going to make sure you are not sick and that your stomach is full every day. I wish for you not to be hungry. I wish that you don’t have to know what it means to be sick. That is my definition of pure love. It will be my lifelong prayer.” Pure love is not a common entity. It is a prayer that is greater than a wish and is something that will never perish. Pure love is something that will not disappear until it is fulfilled. It shall be fulfilled. Therefore, one prays for something greater. That is why, I will see to it that it be realized.

How much time went by? The cries of the young women, who were sexually violated, were heard outside the tent. There was not a woman among them who was now afraid of the sound of the artillery shells. The present circumstances and fear of what will follow quickly overcame their terror of death. Three Japanese soldiers, each carrying a gun on their side, walked behind an officer who had a sword with him. The Japanese officer with the sword spoke in a loud voice, “You have all gathered here with a duty to serve and comfort the sons of the Emperor of the Japanese Empire. There shouldn’t be any one of you who will reject this honor of serving a hundred courageous soldiers!” The young women, who were robbed of their virginity, were not paying attention to the Japanese officer. They did not have enough of what it took to reflect upon themselves. The officer, who had not been given any attention to, looked around and grabbing the chin of a young woman, brought her to her feet.

“Can you happily serve a hundred proud and courageous soldiers of the Japanese Emperor!” The young woman, oblivious about her bare body, spoke in a clear tone with her chin still in the soldier’s hand, “I can’t. Send me back.” “Chikuso.”4 The Japanese officer threw her on the floor. He pulled out a sharp Japanese sword from the case. The knife knew no mercy. It swept across the young woman’s neck, drawing a neat semi-circle. It seemed like time had come to a standstill. The young woman who had just given her retort was no more. Her head dropped to the ground. Everyone inside remained silent, fixing their gaze on the head that had fallen. The body without the head fell to the side and cut the knee of the young woman who was beside it. The blood spurted out. The young women were aghast and tried to scream but no sounds came out of their mouths. Pointing at them with the heavily bloodstained sword, the Japanese officer asked again, “If any one of you cannot serve our proud and courageous soldiers, then the same fate will await her. I will ask again. Are you going to serve the proud sons of the Japanese Emperor?” The young women became mute. The Japanese officer asked again with a cruel smile. “You are going to serve them!” Smacking their lips, the Japanese soldiers, who were behind him, looked at the women. The women let out a mumble. They had to force themselves at least to pretend to say, “yes,” in order to avoid being struck by a Japanese sword. It was at that moment a young woman suddenly got up. “Send me back. I am betrothed.” It was Oh Sun-deok who spoke up and broke the murderous silence that filled the 4

A Japanese curse word, not dissimilar in severity to the f-word.

tent. The officer with the Japanese sword walked up to her. “What? Betrothed? Are you saying the sons of the Japanese Emperor are less important than a lowly animal in our colony?” The Japanese officer’s eyes became bloodshot with agitation. Like a mad woman, she shook his arm. “I don’t know anything about the colony or the Japanese Emperor. Send me back. I have a betrothed. I am betrothed to a man I promised to give all my love. Please send me back.” She knelt down, and clutched the soldier’s pants. Repeating, “Please send me back. Please, please,” she banged her forehead on the floor countless times. Her hands clutching the pants were shaking violently. A heartless smile spread over Japanese officer’s face. “Then die.” His sword was lifted in the air. “Then kill me. I can’t live like this. I can’t live like this without my betrothed. So kill me. Cut off my head. My betrothed is on the battlefield anyway. I am going to become a spirit and protect him. That will be much better. Go ahead. Let me die!” She raised her head stiffly and said with a fiery glare at the soldier. Her booming voice echoed through the tent. It did not look like the sharp Japanese sword frightened her. She bit her lower lip, which started bleeding. Undaunted and prepared for death, she stared at the soldier with dignity. “You’re prepared to die?” “Do you know what is more scary than death? What I fear the most is being trampled on by you. I would rather protect it with my death. Do you know what chastity is? I have already been robbed of my chastity. It’s all right if I end up dying. You don’t have to send me back. I’ve already been subject to what is more scary than death. I am not afraid of death. I’d rather become a spirit vengeful ghost, and return to my betrothed. I am going to make sure he can dodge the bullets, and that he doesn’t fall ill, and he survives and can return to his

hometown. I have faith. Even I am dead, my betrothed will not forget me. We have vowed pure love.” The Japanese officer sneered, “How dare you renounce the glory of loyalty to the Japanese Emperor!” With her neck veins bulging, she retorted quickly, “You tell me. What is this loyalty? Is fighting and dying for the Japanese Emperor what you mean by loyalty? What is glory? Dying in the battlefield for the Japanese Emperor? I feel the same way. But for me, it’s pure love. Just as you want to dedicate your loyalty to your Emperor, I want to dedicate pure love to my betrothed. If dying for your Emperor is an honor for you, then giving up my life for my betrothed is an honor for me. Hence, just kill me. After I am dead, feed my corpse to the wild animals. I heard, rather than being a captive of war, a general would die instead. I feel the same way. I would rather die for my betrothed than live here like a slave. If you won’t send me back, then please, kill me.” Her steadfast and firm reply resulted in even more of a chill in the air in the tent. The officer gave a swift glance around, and with a ruthless and nasty smile, he stared down at her with an icy look. It seemed like he would strike her with the Japanese sword at any second. A number of young women quickly closed their eyes. There was a woman who urinated involuntarily. Each person had a different way of expressing her terror but everyone’s hand muscles contracted and their fingers were shaking. That she could have her head cut off at any time was what everyone was thinking. But contrary to all expectations, a different scene took place. The Japanese sword was directed not at her neck but to its case. The sword was placed right back into its case, with a click. His subordinate soldiers gave him a confounded look. The young women let out a long breath, with some of them, putting their hands over their hearts. The Japanese officer said, “Judging by the look in your eyes, you are indeed not

afraid of death. Then there’s no need to kill you. But if we were to send you back like this, then that would be disgracing the Emperor. The most cruel punishment for you would be to make you do what your fear more than death. You will not be allowed to kill yourself, either. You will have to sacrifice your whole life for the soldiers. Until you die of exhaustion.” “What are you saying? Just kill me instead! Or else I will kill you! I am going to kill everyone here and then get out of this place.” She stood up and rushed toward the Japanese sword of the officer who grabbed her by her neck. She felt dizzy because she couldn’t breathe. She became powerless. The soldier turned to the other behind him. “Take this bitch to Tent Two. Whoever feels like doing it with her, let them have her. Bind her hands and seal her mouth in case she tries to kill herself or bite her tongue.” The Japanese officer flung her on the floor, and sniggering, he walked out of the tent. Delirious, she tried to bite her tongue but the subordinate Japanese soldiers were quicker in action. One of them blocked her mouth with the head of his gun. Another one took control of her hands and impeccably tied her up with the rope that was by his waist side so that she couldn’t move. Madly letting out a scream that was muffled, she resisted. Clutching the back of her head, the soldier, who was stopping her mouth, rammed his head against her mouth where he had mercilessly shoved his gun barrel. The smell of blood reeked in her mouth. Amidst the unbearable suffering, she did not stop her fierce resistance. The Japanese soldier did not cease butting her face with his forehead. But she did not lose her consciousness. With all her might, she did not give in to the ruthless violence. Where did she get such strength? With her hands bound and her mouth stopped, she fought against the two men and crawled outside. “Oh, ho, look at that bitch,” said the Japanese soldier, who had tied her hands, as

though he had found a great amusement. He kicked her head with his army boot and blocked her way. She paid no attention and continued to crawl. “What an unbelievable bitch. We’ll send you home if you manage to get out. Go for it,” said the soldier who had sealed her mouth, breaking into laughter. He pushed her head down to the ground with his army boot. Shaking her head, she resisted. “Hee, hee, she’s not in her right mind. Crazy bitch!” The Japanese soldier, who tied her hands, stomped on her face with his boot. Still she did not give up. “Look at this crazy Josen-jin!”5 The Japanese soldier, who had tied her hands, became enraged when she refused to give in, even after being stomped on the face. As though she did not hear anything, she relentlessly moved toward the outside, which aggravated the Japanese soldiers more and more. The two combined in mercilessly striking and kicking her head. “Go! See if you can make it outside! Josen-jin bitch!” Her skin burst here and there. With blood dripping, she did not stop going forward. Evading the soldiers’ feet, she did not cease her movement. The mixture of blood and sweat streamed down her face. Saliva, combined with blood, drooled from her mouth. There was blood, dripping from her hair. But she would not give in to her punishment. About three steps remained within reach of the outside. Amidst all the kicking, she vowed to herself, just a bit more and slowly inched toward the exit. The Japanese soldiers seemed to be worn out from all their kicking and were panting. The one who stuffed her mouth charged toward her. Like she was a football, he kicked her head with ferocious energy. They might have wished her dead, just as well. Her body became limp. She attempted to move her shoulders but couldn’t. Her body couldn’t even move a little 5

A derogatory Japanese term for Koreans.

bit. The Japanese soldier who kicked her wiped the sweat and put his finger underneath her nose. “She’s still alive. Let’s drag her away.” After ascertaining she was still breathing, pulling her by her hair, the soldier dragged her away. Her body could not resist them but her eyes were dripping with blood and sweat, as though she remained defiant.

She was reminded of the night Seo Su-cheol proposed marriage to her. It was a night when the frogs were croaking and the moon was bright. She remembered that night when they had promised each other pure love.

When Oh Sun-deok came to her consciousness, she found herself lying on a shabby bed made of old lumber, just big enough for one person. The room was a pathetically small space of about two pyeong,6 built with planks. There was no sunlight and the small windows were covered with thick, green cloth. The door was sloppily prepared in that it was draped with a dirty fabric to fend off the draft. A young woman was caring for her. When Oh Sun-deok looked around, she put down the cloth with which she was wiping her body and said, “You’ve woken up?” She did not respond and vacantly looked up at the ceiling. What had happened to her? Inside the tent, where she had been dragged by her hair in a naked state, the masculine smell reeked throughout the whole room. Notwithstanding her body was all bloody, the men let out a moan and violated her. One of them took a heated iron and roasted her skin when she lost her consciousness, and made her scream and writhe in pain. As though they found it amusing, they broke into cruel laughter each time she screamed 6

A traditional Korean measurement of about 3.9 sq. yd.

and contorted her body in great pain. It was only after the recurrence of losing her consciousness, her flesh getting burned, and the soreness of her groin, which made her go back and forth between being conscious and unconscious, that her trials came to an end. As she recalled the inhumane and degrading ordeal she was subjected to, she bit her tongue to bring her life to an end. The young woman, who was nursing her, urgently put a hand into her mouth. Oh Sun-deok bit as hard as she could but she only felt the hardness and she couldn’t feel any sensation on her tongue. She could taste the blood in her mouth and the young woman let out a groan. She relaxed the bite of her teeth. Not paying any attention to her hand, the young woman wrapped her arms around Oh Sun-deok’s neck. “You mustn’t die like this. We must all survive. Japan will be defeated. Without a doubt, they will lose the war and pay for their evil deeds. We must leave behind a record of all their inhumane treatment of us that was forced upon us. We must survive. We must survive at all cost and have them tried before the court of history.”

“We must leave behind evidence for history to record what they forced us to do.” (The words of a victim as inscribed by the entrance of the Museum of “Comfort Women”)

Oh Sun-deok brought Han Gi-jun to the lower level of the museum. When they descended the steps on which barely two people could walk, a dim wooden building came into view. He could tell right away it was the facility for the enforced sex slaves. Not showing any emotion, she entered it. He looked around. There was a room built just as she had described it. A tin washbasin was on top of a chair. He wanted to know what it had been used for but he couldn’t bring himself to ask. She spoke for him. “This place was built according to my testimony. The tin washbasin was used for

cleaning our bodies after we did that thing, and here, on an old bed like this, we had to put up with countless men. I first met a friend who said what is written on the post by the entrance and who also treated me. We were the same age but she was like an older sister to me. She had a strong will to live, and was upright and indomitable. Her name was Ha Chun-hui and she was really pretty.” She began to talk and it became much easier for him to ask her questions. “Were you together?” “Yes. She stayed in the adjacent room. I was weak and she would sometimes do it for me instead. She was truly an invaluable friend and I am so grateful to her. She also helped deliver my letters to him. In my next life, I want to be born as her older sister so that I can pay her back for all that she’d done for me. “ “She must’ve been an important person to you.” “Very much so. She was also very wise. She always told us that Japan, which unjustly forced us to be sex slaves, would most definitely be defeated and apologize to us, and admit they were wrong. That is why we had to survive, that we shouldn’t give up.” She glanced at the bed with horrific memories. She was reminded of the past when Ha Chun-hui sat on the bed and nursed her. Then she remembered clearly the words that Ha Chun-hui had spoken. She began a conversation with Ha Chun-hui who was not there. “Chun-hui, all that you said were true. But the Japanese haven’t made their apology yet, like you said they would. I am still enduring it because of my faith in you, my friend. I still believe what you said is the truth and that’s why I march to the Japanese Embassy without fail every Wednesday. You were always right. Your words have never been untrue. The Japanese have been defeated and were bombed as a punishment for their crime of starting the war. But then, as for kneeling before us and apologizing, that is taking too long. I have faith in your words and I went to them every Wednesday for twenty-two years without a

break. The shameless bastards refuse to even come out. But I will keep on going, not because I believe in them, but because I believe in your words. You have never lied to me once.” Listening to her conversation, he felt as though a person named Ha Chun-hui was right next to them. She felt very close to him. Mustering up courage, he wanted to convey his condolence. “We, the younger generation, will prove that you were not wrong. Just like Grandma Oh Sun-deok, whom I am with at this moment, I firmly believe in your words. We shall prove it. Please wait and see.” He spoke ingenuously and not perfunctorily. They sounded like words warmly spoken by a grandson to his weary grandmother. Oh Sun-deok patted him on his back, expressing her gratitude and pride in him. “Do you know what was the most unbelievable part? That we unknowingly went to the ‘comfort’ facility. Me, Chun-hui, and all the older and younger women did. We weren’t forcefully taken away. That’s what enrages me more. We didn’t even get a chance to resist, not even once. That is why it is so unfair. What I find even more unbelievable is that I am taking the initiative to go to the Japanese Embassy every Wednesday. They lied to us in the past, saying they’ll get us hired in a garment factory and we went unaware, only to be subjected to the most horrific experience; and now, they are lying and saying that it had never happened, making us go to them again. I am after these bastards whom I abhor, whether I am dead or alive. How could anyone be so cruel? How could these guys with a human mask have degraded our life so miserably?”

“Sanitary public bathroom” was another name for the comfort facility. In other words, it symbolized a place where one excreted an urge that is filthy, like feces and urine. If one delved deeper into it, the name of a sanitary public bathroom is a proof that the Japanese did not regard the “comfort women,” who were in this place, as human beings but only as

instruments of release for their sexual urge. Because they did not view them as people, the cruelty that took place within the comfort facility could only be beyond oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s imagination. No matter how much one tried, it was a place one could not get used to. Such a brutal experience is something that would not be recorded in the pages of oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life. The Japanese committed evil actions that human beings should never do. It was impossible to embrace the fact that one had to satiate the desires of the Japanese mob, who trampled on peace and enjoyed slaughter, and who became murderers on the battlefield. Some women became mad. They lost their minds, committed suicide or ran away, screaming. Conversely, there were those who could not take one step outside; some became unable to control their defecation or urination. Some became mute. Then there were some who tried to ingratiate themselves to someone powerful and became a sex slave. The Japanese did not send a single woman back home, although the souls of the young women festered. Instead, they picked out the women who were in the worst condition and committed a sexual act that was unimaginable. They resorted to their guns and swords for the women who fled. In order to kill a young woman who went crazy, they would gang up against her. It was for them a rather pleasurable stimulation to watch a fragile woman bleed to death in an insane state of mind. If there is hell, then it surely must be a much better place than this. Wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t it said that one had to spend a longer time than eternity in the fires of hell? They wanted to pray to God to be sent to hell instead. Was it said that the devil is the most terrifying entity? The devil must be kinder and meeker than the Japanese who were playing that mad war game. For the Japanese, killing people was a playful game. Or rather, it could have been the most rewarding and glorious part of their lives. Worse than the devil, the men, who came to Oh Sun-deok, proudly told tales of how they had murdered people. Such as slicing open an

old man who was partly blocking the road when the Japanese were riding on a horse, or releasing a captive child and telling him to run away, only to make a bet among themselves to shoot the child, and how one of them had won it. Most of the people the Japanese killed were old people, women or children. You did not hear a story of any one having killed a robust enemy soldier. It was inevitable. Most people who were sent to the most dangerous areas were the powerless men of Joseon Korea or from other colonial countries. The irrational and demeaning acts of killing those who were weaker than them, and who therefore needed protection, were for them a most glorious and remarkable accomplishment. There were times when the Japanese exercised extreme violence or became even more vicious in the middle of sexual acts or days when they would barge in and kick the women with their army boots for no reason. After a recurrence of these experiences, the women discovered the reason. On these days, they had been raided or suffered a huge defeat by the Korean Independence fighters. “The Josen-jin have launched an attack on the great troops of the Emperor of Japan. We’re going to punish you who are also Josen-jin!” Citing an utterly irrational reason, they indiscriminately beat up the women. At first, there were some women who blamed the Independence fighters but most of them could feel their hearts beating faster as they got assaulted. It was all thanks to Ha Chun-hui. It happened two weeks after they came to the comfort facility and they were being physically abused by a mob of Japanese soldiers. It was pouring rain and a military unit was completely destroyed by an attack of the Independence fighters. For no reason, the Japanese drove the women in their room into a larger room in the comfort facility and began their unexplained assault. They were battered to the point of their faces all swelling up. They all

had to be bed-ridden for more than a week. Those in charge of running the facility flattered and coaxed the soldiers to stop their violence, was that fortunate? One Japanese soldier screamed to them, “You can blame the Josen-jin traitors!” He exited the tent, panting, and spitting on the ground. There was not a spot that didn’t hurt when the women moved their bodies. Still, they had to move in order to cleanse their torn skin. The violence was over but the cries of pain did not end. The groaning of the women, who had to sanitize their wounds, was heard all over. They didn’t say it to each other but Ha Chun-hui could sense the women’s resentment for being beat up on account of the Independence fighters. Wiping her body, she spoke up in a loud voice, “I know what you’re all thinking. Are you upset for getting beat up without a reason?” No one said dared say anything. There was silence for a while and someone finally spoke, “Yes, I am. I don’t understand why I had to be beat up.” Another woman said quietly, “Same here.” And then one more woman got the courage and said, “Me too.” Several more expressed their frustration in a muffled voice. Ha Chun-hui spoke again, “We are all upset. Aren’t we? But then who are we blaming? The Independence fighters? Why them? Speak honestly. Are you blaming the Independence fighters?” There was no response to her question. Everyone was afraid to say anything. The gazes of the women, who were checking each other out, were all directed to the woman who appeared to be most strong-willed. She mustered courage and replied, “Frankly, we got beat up on account of the Independence fighters whom we don’t even know. Of course, I blame them.” Most of them agreed with the statement of the woman who spoke out unthinkingly. Looking straight at her, Ha Chun-hui said, “Is it the Independence fighters who beat you up?

Shouldn’t we blame the ones who beat us up? Did the Independence fighters do it? Don’t you know how scary your thoughts are? What did the Independence fighters do wrong?” The young woman remained mute. Ha Chun-hui asked another question. “Did the Independence fighters do it with the intention of having us persecuted?” The young woman still didn’t say anything. Ha Chun-hui asked yet another question. “What is the reason why we should blame them?” The young woman could not give a reply. That is because Ha Chun-hui was right. The young woman was thinking, it’s because the Japanese were defeated by the Independence fighters and they hold it against us since we are from the same country; but she did not utter those words. All the women in the room had a similar thought in their head. But no one said it aloud. They knew that it was not right. Ha Chun-hui could read their minds. She spoke very forcefully, “Is there anyone who wants to live here as a slave for the rest of your lives?” The women remained silent. “Or anyone who wants to be killed as a game the Japanese play?” They remained quiet. “It’s our thoughts that will change us. If we blame the Independence fighters, then we will forever remain a slave to the Japanese and will never be able to leave here. Little by little, we’ll become accustomed to being their sex slaves. Just like the women who couldn’t dream of getting out of here but died of insanity, we too will die in the most wretched manner. We must support the Independence fighters. They are going to liberate us. We’ve in this state because our country has been stolen from us by the Japanese. The Independence fighters are going get our country back for us. We must cheer for them and endure our time here.” The room of pain was transformed into a room of reflection. With great difficulty, Ha Chun-hui got herself up.

“So what if the Japanese beat us a little? When the filthy scum who violate us are perishing. The more victories we hear of the Independence fighters, the closer we are to home. And our tribulation will become less.” She continued, “Fighting like the Independence fighters is not the only means of the Independence movement. I am going to start another Independence movement here. I am not afraid of being beat up! Even though I can’t protest and have to be subject to it, I am going to endure till the end. Enduring is winning. I’ll make sure I can go back home. Then I am going to study. I am going to learn a Western language. I am going to learn all the languages of the world and let everyone know what kind of atrocities the Japanese have forced upon us. For certain Japan will be defeated. It is a fact. These days many soldiers are attacking Japan. Japan is all alone. Many countries and the Independence fighters will defeat Japan but what happens afterward is more important. We must let everyone know what the Japanese did to us and make sure that they cannot rise again. That’s what we have to do.” Ha Chun-hui’s words instilled hope in the hearts of the young women. One of them said, “I am going to learn to read and write, too.” That vow, which was exclaimed, filled the comfort facility with a powerful passion and strong will. Each woman made her own vow. They were all slightly different but not too different from the dream that Ha Chun-hui harbored. That is how a small but great Independence Movement began in the comfort facility.

Pages 168-171

The medicine, which the women had been waiting for, was delivered to the comfort facility by the Red Cross staff. Ha Chun-hui quietly took the nurse aside. She took every precaution, lest the Japanese would hear them. She whispered in the ear of the nurse.

“Was there by chance a Joseon soldier who was shipped back because he was infected with a contagious disease?” The nurse didn’t know the reason but instinctively she observed the movements of the watching Japanese. After making sure it was safe, she tried to recall all the past patients. The Japanese did everything to avoid infectious diseases. She had not seen a single patient from Manchuria who had been sent away because of it. As she was about to reply, “No, there wasn’t,” she suddenly remembered one person. It was a Joseon man who was afflicted with leprosy and taken to Sorok Island. It was none other than Seo Su-cheol. She also recalled how the Red Cross had launched massive preventive measures against the outbreak of leprosy. “It wasn’t a contagious disease but there was a Joseon man who was sent to Sorok Island for leprosy,” the nurse answered. Ha Chun-hui’s eyes glimmered. “Ah, we’ve found him,” she screamed quietly with joy. “I have a request. His betrothed is here at the facility. I know it’s risky but they’re the unjust victims of the war the Japanese started. Could you please deliver a letter to him?” Ha Chun-hui knew the nurse would oblige willingly. The Red Cross was the only organization that the Japanese were relatively easy on. There was no reason why a staff member of Red Cross, for which justice was their primary purpose, wouldn’t do it. As she had expected, the nurse gave her a meaningful look.

The nurse from the Red Cross took the letter from Ha Chun-hui. She thanked the nurse and placed candy, which she had stashed away, in the hand of the nurse who kept declining it but Ha Chun-hui did not give in and shoved it deep into her pocket. She thought it was fortunate that she was able to give the letter to the nurse. But her relief betrayed her when suddenly she became worried. It was because of Oh Sun-deok.

The Red Cross left. Oh Sun-deok came into her room. Hugging Ha Chun-hui, she jumped up and down with gratitude. Ha Chun-hui released her embrace and said with an apprehensive look, “When the Red Cross delivers your letter, he will know that you’re at the comfort facility. Will your betrothed understand?” Oh Sun-deok’s heart sank. Ha Chun-hui continued, “And your betrothed is afflicted with leprosy. That is why he was taken away to Sorok Island.” She plopped down on the bed. “No, it can’t be.” Oh Sun-deok cried. Ha Chun-hui squatted beside her and hugged her. She did not want to tell her. She did not want to hurt her. But she had to. She was his betrothed. It is wrong to tell her about him but it was also wrong not to tell her about his whereabouts. She had to tell her the truth. She wanted to be free from lies. She wanted to lighten her heart. She wanted to believe in their pure love. “He will understand. You, too, can accept your betrothed who is afflicted with leprosy, right?” Instead of giving an answer, she asked Ha Chun-hui, “Is there no warfare where he is at?” “What?” “Is it a place where there is no warfare, there? Is it where only patients live?” “Yes, apparently. Only lepers live there. It’s not a place of warfare. Patients are put in seclusion there.” But contrary to Ha Chun-hui’s expectation, Oh Sun-deok let out a sigh and said, “I am relieved.” Not understanding her, Ha Chun-hui observed her from an awkward position. Smiling brightly, Oh Sun-deok said, “I am so relieved that Elder Brother is where there is no warfare. At least his life is not at stake. So what if he has leprosy, as long as he’s alive. What if he dumps me because he finds me filthy. As long as he’s alive, that’s enough

for me.” Ha Chun-hui could now begin to understand, a little, of what pure love was about.

“He and I both knew. That I left and became a ‘comfort woman.’ That he had leprosy. We both knew about it. But we pretended not to know. Because there was no need for us to say anything about it. We knew we wrote lies in our letters but we were still happy. Because we knew we were going to live the rest of our lives, not having to tell each other. Can you understand, that’s what pure love is?”