How literature contributes to understanding the current relationship between Japan and South Korea

Abstract

The work Herdeiras do Mar portrays the reality faced by the so-called “comfort women,” Korean girls who were abducted by Japanese soldiers and forced to serve as sexual slaves in military camps. Although fictional, the book is set against the historical backdrop of the Japanese occupation of Korea, which lasted from 1910 to 1945. The aim of this article is to examine how this work can help to understand contemporary relations between the two countries, with a focus on historical reparations for events that occurred during the Second World War. The research is situated within the field of the History of International Relations and adopts a qualitative, descriptive approach, based on a bibliographical review of specialized books and scientific articles. In 2015, Japan proposed an agreement described as “final and irreversible,” in which it would compensate the surviving victims; however, it also demanded the removal of all statues erected in memory of these women. The Korean population opposed the signing of this agreement, viewing it as an attempt to erase the historical record of these violations. It is therefore concluded that unresolved international issues and negligent political agreements can render civilian suffering during wartime invisible.