An article printed by J. Mark Ramseyer, the Mitsubishi professor of Japanese authorized research at Harvard Legislation college, has been criticized not solely in South Korea but additionally in the US as he described Korean ladies who had been sexually abused by the Japanese navy throughout World Conflict II as prepared prostitutes who rigorously negotiated the phrases of their contracts.
Ramseyer made the contentious declare that the ladies, typically euphemistically known as “consolation ladies,” had been volunteers and never “intercourse slaves,” and argued that there was no coercion from the Japanese authorities in recruiting the ladies. Different students have mentioned that he didn’t present any proof or proof that may help his declare.
After his article was printed, the Korean Affiliation of Harvard Legislation Faculty issued a press release on February 4 slamming the article for being “factually inaccurate and deceptive.” Each political and tutorial circles in the US additionally joined the criticism.
U.S. Consultant Younger Kim tweeted on February 11 that Ramseyer’s claims are “unfaithful, deceptive, and disgusting.” Kim additionally mentioned that his claims are offensive to victims, tweeting “we should help victims of human trafficking and slavery, not tear them down.”
“I urge him to apologize,” Kim mentioned in her tweet. A fellow consultant, Michelle Metal, retweeted Kim’s put up, commenting, “Agree. That is disgusting.”
The Harvard Korean Society additionally issued a press release, saying it demanded that Ramseyer provide an official apology to Korean ladies who had been compelled into sexual slavery, whereas asking the journal to withdraw the article.
In the meantime, U.S. students have taken situation with the tutorial credibility of his article. Based on The Harvard Crimson, Carter J. Eckert, a professor of Korean Historical past at Harvard College referred to Ramseyer’s article as “woefully poor, empirically, traditionally, and morally” in an emailed assertion.
“What issues me is that is scholarly fraud,” Alexis Dudden, a professor of Japanese and Korean historical past on the College of Connecticut, mentioned in an interview with an area information outlet in Seoul, South Korea. “He has to have the ability to in a position to reproduce the proof and there’s no proof.” Dudden additionally added that Ramseyer has to offer sourcing for the 7,000 contracts he wrote about in his article and open them as much as public assessment.
The lively criticisms from U.S. students and Korean college students in the US have obtained consideration in South Korea. Nevertheless, the South Korean authorities has not issued a press release. The non-governmental organizations that help South Korean ladies who had been sexually abused by the Japanese navy have additionally not taken a public stance.
That silence doesn’t sit properly with some Koreans. “The Korean authorities and politicians must be ashamed of themselves as most information stories had been in regards to the criticisms made by U.S. students and politicians.” Yoon Tae-young, 25, a college pupil in Seoul, instructed The Diplomat. “The Korean authorities ought to make a press release formally or do something to make extra Korean folks learn about Ramseyer’s ignorant article.”
Amid the criticism, Ramseyer’s background has attracted consideration. His specialty is Japanese legislation – not analysis into Japanese navy abuses, together with sexual slavery throughout World Conflict II – and his background is strongly linked to Japan. Ramseyer spent most of his childhood in Japan and attended Japanese faculties earlier than he returned to the US for school. He was awarded the Order of the Rising Solar from the Japanese authorities in 2018.
That background is notable as a result of the article’s arguments are just like the protection usually utilized by Japanese nationalists: that the ladies in war-era Japanese navy brothels had been prepared prostitutes, not victims of coercion. Opposite to criticism from students, politicians and college students within the United Sates, Japanese historians despatched a letter to the journal’s editors to precise their help for Ramseyer’s paper, the native media in South Korea reported.
In a letter, six Japanese students defended Ramseyer’s article as an amazing tutorial contribution primarily based on a surprisingly wide selection of uncooked supplies. Additionally they mentioned that the article is an achievement to be praised, not be reproached. One of many students was Ezaki Michio, who has beforehand rejected claims of Japanese navy atrocities in China and South Korea.
Surprisingly, nonetheless, there was one other group that rejected the wave of criticism: right-wingers in Korea.
A U.S. college professor obtained an e-mail from a consultant of Media Watch, a far-right Korean media outlet, based on native media. In an e mail with the topic line “Outsiders should not have any authority to argue about it,” the sender mentioned, “I’m afraid that your intervention will solely forestall cheap debates like this.”
The professor, who remained nameless, had been criticizing Ramseyer’s article and felt horrified when colleagues additionally obtained the identical e-mail from Media Watch. The media outlet additionally despatched a press release supporting Ramseyer to Harvard College and the journal. Many Koreans have expressed their anger over the article, which comes as Seoul is coping with the difficulty of compensation for individuals who had been compelled to be sexual slavery or war-time labor for Japanese companies throughout World Conflict II. Koreans have been shocked by South Korea’s far-right students’ stance on the article.
The Worldwide Overview of Legislation and Economics, the place the article was printed, issued an “expression of concern” to “inform readers that issues have been raised relating to the historic proof” relating to Ramseyer’s article. The journal mentioned it was investigating the declare and “will present extra data because it turns into out there.”
Initially, the Worldwide Overview of Legislation and Economics was scheduled to publish Ramseyer’s article within the March situation, but it surely deferred publication because it completes its investigation. Additionally it is reported that the journal is contemplating publishing his article and the counterarguments on the similar time.
Within the midst of the disputes over Ramseyer’s article, Harvard Legislation Faculty will host an internet discussion board on February 16 to debate the continuing “consolation ladies” situation. Lee Yong-soo, one of many Korean ladies who had been compelled into sexual slavery for the Japanese navy, will attend.