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In the last course of my graduate program

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we created an online campaign video 
on human trafficking.

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My professor at the time said,

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"You're not going to change
the world through this project,

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but you're going to add a spoon of sugar 
into the salty ocean to sweeten it up."

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You may think making peace starts 
with presidents, prime ministers,

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leaders of some countries 
shaking hands together,

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or the United Nations,
NGO workers tirelessly working

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in the less developed field
for the poorest of the poor.

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I was thinking the same 
before I started my graduate program.

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But today you will learn 
that peace actually starts with you.

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I came to South Korea in order 
to conduct my field research

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on the issue of "comfort women."

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"Comfort women" is a euphemism 
coined by the Japanese Imperial Army

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before and during World War II.

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There are women who were forced 
into sexual slavery by the army

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and a majority of them 
are from here, South Korea.

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But there are also survivors from China, 
Taiwan, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

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When I told my friends and family in Japan

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that I would research 
the issue of comfort women,

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they usually say, "You're going to deal 
with such a difficult issue."

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I asked my mother why and she answered,

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"I understand that the Japanese Army 
did something terrible in the past,

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but that's an embarrassing part 
we all don't want to touch."

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Many of you probably heard last year

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that the government of Japan 
and South Korea reached an agreement

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on the issue of comfort women.

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Under the agreement, 
the government of Japan

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will pay one billion yen to a foundation
that the South Korean government

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will establish to offer
health and other services

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to the elderly former comfort women.

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In addition, the government of Japan 
asked for removal of the statue

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in front of the Japanese Embassy,
which pays tribute to the comfort women,

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saying that the agreement was made
to stop future generations

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from having to keep apologizing.

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On the contrary, I believe
that the statue should not be removed

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and the issue of comfort women 
should continue to be discussed

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and passed on to the future generations
in order to not repeat the history.

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Sexual and gender-based violence 
is not something that happened in the past

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but it also proliferates 
in modern everyday life.

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Women are disproportionately suffering

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because violence is often gendered

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in attacks such as rape
and domestic violence.

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According to
the World Health Organization,

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one in three women worldwide

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suffer from physical
or sexual abuse in their lifetime.

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Here in South Korea, the number 
of sexual assaults is increasing.

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However, an expert says that the number 
is just the tip of the iceberg,

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as many women do not come forward

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because they are afraid that they 
are going to be insulted once again.

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The situation is very similar in Japan.

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Many assault survivors
do not want to come forward

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because they feel ashamed or insulted.

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Male-centered patriarchal societies
makes it difficult to talk

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about the experience of sexual assaults.

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Because being sexually assaulted also 
enforces a form of stigma in our society.

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I truly admire all the Korean women 
who have come forward

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and started to talk about
their painful experiences

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as comfort women.

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We can only imagine how hard it is

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but then to talk 
about experiences in public,

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being raped over and over 
by Japanese soldiers

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and never being taken care of 
even when they became sick.

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There are also many women 
who are abandoned and murdered

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at the end of the war.

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The surviving comfort women 


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are still fighting for their rights
and restoration of their dignity.

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And a few survivors are participating

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in the weekly demonstration
in front of the Japanese Embassy

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calling for the Japanese government

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to take legal responsibility
for its cause.

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As a final assignment of my course

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we wanted to create 
an online campaign video

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to make a powerful impact on the viewers.

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Together with my colleagues,
Arunima, Caroline, and Rebekka,

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we wanted to raise
awareness of child trafficking.

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This was our effort to sweeten 
the ocean just a little bit.

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[Video]

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(Beeping)

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(Sizzling)

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(Scraping)

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[According to the International 
Labor Organization

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an estimated 17.2 million children

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are in forced domestic
servitude worldwide.]

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[These children are as young as five.]

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[It happens all over the world.]

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[You can be part of the solution!]

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The child domestic servitude 


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is a form of modern day slavery.

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Millions of children, all over the world,
are being trafficked into servitude

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with a false promise 
of education and a better life.

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Many of these children
work up to 18 hours a day.

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Often, they are not paid.

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The world will likely turn its back 
on those exploited children

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unless someone has the courage

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to question the practice 
and its morality.

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Even then, changes in cultures and laws
sufficient to stop child trafficking

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will likely come slowly.

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Take the issue
of comfort women, for example,

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many of them were as young as 12

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when they were forced 
into sexual slavery.

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They were not able to speak
about their experiences

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under the strong patriarchal society.

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But with democratization 
of South Korea and the feminist movement

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they started to speak in public 
for the first time in the 1990s.

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That is when they opened the door to allow
the taboo issue of comfort women

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to become an issue discussed 
in South Korea, Japan,

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and the rest of the world.

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My work started from curiosity.

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I had several questions:

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Why are elderly women still fighting

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for their rights and restoration 
of their dignity?

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How and why did the United States 
play a part in reaching this agreement?

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Who truly has power in this world?

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My hope is also to add a spoon 
of sugar in this salty ocean.

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I would like to seek an appropriate way 
of honoring the lives of women

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not only the surviving elders 
but also the many young women

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who were abandoned and murdered

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in the battle field outside 
of their own country.

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By doing so, I believe 
we can have a better conversation

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towards sexual and gender-based violence
prevailing in our countries.

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So, let us become curious 
about exploitation in today's world.

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Let us question why the world 
is the way it is right now.

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Why are some countries rich and powerful
while others are not?

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Why are certain populations 
being discriminated against?

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Why are certain people
doing certain jobs in your community?

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Why are there no women in boardrooms?

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Why is your friend
being bullied in your classroom?

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Then reach out your hand 
to people who need your help.

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Your help might be as tiny 
as a spoon of sugar.

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But if many of us do it together, 
I think we can change the world.

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Then you'll see that peace 
actually starts with you.

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Thank you so much.

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(Applause)