Ryu Seok-chun: "Comfort Women Were Not Forced Victims but Victims of Employment Fraud"

On the 26th, at the Pacific Hotel in Myeongdong, Jung-gu, Seoul, Professor Ryu Seok-chun of Yonsei University's Department of Sociology (right) is greeting after being introduced at the symposium titled "The Comfort Women Movement by Jeong Dae-hyeop, Revealing Its Reality." Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Min Jun-young] Professor Ryu Seok-chun of Yonsei University’s Department of Sociology, who received a one-month suspension for comparing comfort women victims to 'prostitution' during class, made another derogatory remark about comfort women amid the controversy surrounding the Justice Memory Solidarity. Yonsei University stated that no additional disciplinary action will be taken according to school regulations.

On the 26th, Professor Ryu held a symposium titled "Revealing the Reality of the Comfort Women Movement by Jeongdaehyeop" at the Pacific Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, where he said, "Showing interest and support only to Japanese military comfort women among many victims of the licensed prostitution system is a kind of privilege," and added, "Comfort women should be seen not as victims of forced conscription by the state but as people who suffered from employment fraud as prostitutes."

Although criticism followed Professor Ryu’s remarks, Yonsei University stated that it cannot discipline statements made outside the school according to school regulations.

Previously, on the 7th, Yonsei University had imposed a one-month suspension on Professor Ryu for insulting comfort women victims.

Last September, during his 'Development Sociology' lecture, Professor Ryu sparked controversy by saying that "(comfort women victims) voluntarily engaged in prostitution."

When a student asked, "Comfort women victims did not go voluntarily, right?" Professor Ryu responded, "Prostitution still occurs voluntarily today," and even said to the student, "If you’re curious, would you like to try it once?"

The Yonsei University disciplinary committee decided on the punishment, judging that the remarks were "expressions that could cause students to feel sexual humiliation."

Professor Ryu’s suspension will take effect on June 1, suspending his duties as a professor for the entire month of June.

However, Professor Ryu filed a request for a provisional injunction to suspend the effect of the disciplinary action in court, leading to a future legal dispute.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.