Comfort women argument between S. Korea and the U.S.
I did not know that there was an argument between SK and US about so-called "comfort women" but have come across Yonhap News in SK reporting like this today.
"Journal launches investigation into controversial claim of Harvard professor over comfort women
WASHINGTON, Feb. 11 (Yonhap) -- A U.S. journal on Thursday said it has launched an investigation into concerns over an article that claimed Japan's wartime sexual slavery had actually been voluntary prostitution....
...An association of Korean students at Harvard University has demanded an immediate withdrawal of the paper and an apology from Ramseyer...."
Source:
Journal launches investigation into controversial claim of Harvard professor over comfort women | Yonhap News Agency
The paper titled "Contracting for sex in the Pacific War" seems to be introduced like this in the internet.
"Abstract
The protracted political dispute between South Korea and Japan over the wartime brothels called "comfort stations" obscures the contractual dynamics involved. These dynamics reflected the straightforward logic of the "credible commitments" so basic to elementary game theory. The brothel owners and potential prostitutes faced a problem: the brothel needed credibly to commit to a contractual structure (i) generous enough to offset the dangers and reputational damage to the prostitute that the job entailed, while (ii) giving the prostitute an incentive to exert effort while working at a harsh job in an unobservable environment.
Realizing that the brothel owners had an incentive to exaggerate their future earnings, the women demanded a large portion of their pay upfront. Realizing that they were headed to the war zone, they demanded a relatively short maximum term. And realizing that the women had an incentive to shirk, the brothel owners demanded a contractual structure that gave women incentives to work hard. To satisfy these superficially contradictory demands, the women and brothels concluded indenture contracts that coupled (i) a large advance with one- or two-year maximum terms, with (ii) an ability for the women to leave early if they generated sufficient revenue."
Source:
Contracting for sex in the Pacific War - ScienceDirect!
Contents are no surprise for the Japanese at least.