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The U.S. Army Photography and the “Seen Side” and “Blind Side” of the Japanese Military Comfort Women: The Still Pictures and Motion Pictures of the Korean Comfort Girls in Myitkyina, Sungshan, and Tengchung

Korea Journal / Korea Journal, (P)0023-3900; (E)2733-9343
2019, v.59 no.2, pp.144-176
https://doi.org/10.25024/kj.2019.59.2.144

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Abstract

This study focuses on organization and activity of the U.S. Army’s 164th Signal Photo Company in the CBI Theater and the still and motion pictures related to Japanese military Comfort Women captured by army photographers. With attention to related documents and testimonies, this study addresses the “seen side” and “blind side” of the photographers, as well as the intent and nature of the army photographers’ activities. Moreover, these images help to uncover the stories of individual Korean Comfort Women who became subjects in these still and motion pictures. Nevertheless, these still and motion pictures do not easily reveal the entire truth. Rather, they appear to be concealing something. The voices of women are silenced in the still and motion pictures. As a result, this study was only able to access their voices through interrogation reports, news articles, and personal accounts by the interrogators who interviewed the women.

keywords
Comfort Women, Comfort Woman, Comfort Girl(s), 164th Signal Photo Company, war photographer, still picture, motion picture, seen side, blind side

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