Resurrecting Prostitutes and Overturning Treaties: Gender Politics in the “Anti-American” Movement in South Korea

• Published in: The Journal of Asian studies Vol. 66; no. 1; pp. 129 - 157
• Main Author: Moon, Katharine H. S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, USA Cambridge University Press 01-02-2007; Duke University Press, NC & IL
• Subjects: Activism; Activist Politics across Asia; Alliances; Anti-Americanism; Asia; Asian studies; Case studies; Civil society; Coalitions; Democracy; Ethnology; Gender; Grass roots movement; Human rights; International relations-US; Military bases; Nationalism; Natural satellites; Policy making; Political activism; Politics; Prostitution; Public policy; Sex workers; Social movements; Social organization, political organization and power, relations with the State; Social structure and social relations; Sofas; South Korea; Violence; Violence against women; Women; Womens rights; Womens rights movements; Eastern Asia; Asia; Korea Republic; Korea; United States > US; South Korea; Antiamericanism; Politics; Movement; Treaty; Gender; Marginalization
• ISSN: 0021-9118; 1752-0401
• DOI: 10.1017/S0021911807000046

Although recent expressions of “anti-Americanism” in South Korea have alarmed policy makers in Seoul and Washington and aroused fears about declining popular support for the bilateral alliance, they are understandable manifestations of civil society activism, which has grown since democratization began during the late 1980s. This paper analyzes anti-Americanism as a dynamic coalition movement accompanied by the all of internal competition, conflicts, and contradictions that characterize such movements. In the process, some actors and issues have become high priorities, whereas others have been marginalized or silenced. Professor Moon examines kijich'on (camptown) prostitution around U.S. military bases in Korea as a case study of how power conflicts within the coalition movement, which are focused on nationalism and gender, have exploited and shut out the very people who served as its initiators and early leaders.