Harvard Professor Faces Backlash Inside and Outside School for Calling 'Comfort Women' Prostitutes

John Mark Ramseyer, Professor at Harvard Law School (right) / Photo by Harvard Law School 공개 동영상 캡쳐

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Jumi Lee] There is a strong backlash both inside and outside Harvard University over the paper by Harvard Law School professor John Mark Ramseyer, who characterized the victims of Japanese military sexual slavery as ‘voluntary prostitutes.’ While the Harvard campus newspaper reported on the flaws in the paper, criticism is also growing among Korean students at Harvard.

The Harvard Crimson, Harvard University's campus newspaper, published an article on the 7th (local time) stating that Ramseyer’s claims have sparked international controversy and reported on the criticism from both inside and outside the university.

The newspaper reported that many legal scholars and historians in Korea and the United States have identified several flaws in Ramseyer’s claims and have raised questions about the sources cited in the paper.

Carter Eckert, a professor teaching Korean history at Harvard, described the paper as “empirically, historically, and morally disastrously flawed” and said he is preparing a journal to refute Ramseyer’s claims together with Andrew Gordon, a professor in the history department.

Alexis Dudden, a history professor at the University of Connecticut, also stated, “The evidence is weak, and considering the academic proof, this is a foolish scholarly work,” adding, “Ramseyer did not understand the context or what actually happened, so the paper was written based on a conceptually flawed understanding.”

Korean students at Harvard also voiced criticism toward Professor Ramseyer.

The Korean American Harvard Law Students (KAHLS) issued a statement on the 4th strongly condemning the deliberate omission of human rights violations and war crimes, with 800 law students across the United States signing the statement.

They criticized, “Ramseyer’s claims are inaccurate and misleading,” and “He asserts without solid evidence that the government did not force prostitution.”

The Korean International Students Association (KISA) at Harvard’s undergraduate school also plans to submit a petition to the university demanding an apology from Ramseyer and the withdrawal of the paper.

In response to the backlash, Ramseyer said, “It is the responsibility of law school students,” and expressed willingness to engage in dialogue with students about the paper.

Previously, Ramseyer sparked international controversy by arguing in his paper titled ‘Contracting for Sex in the Pacific War’ that the Japanese military comfort women at the time were licensed prostitutes and not ‘sex slaves’ who were abducted and forced into prostitution by Japan.

Harvard University campus newspaper 'Crimson' homepage

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