• Over 100 South Korean women sue the US military for abuses related to forced prostitution.
• The lawsuit demands an apology and compensation of 10 million won ($7,200) per victim.
• Historically, women worked in state-sanctioned brothels serving US soldiers from the 1950s to 1980s.
• South Korea's top court previously found the government complicit in the establishment of these brothels.
• The US military denies wrongdoing while legal proceedings are ongoing.

In a landmark lawsuit, over 100 South Korean women have accused the US military of facilitating a system of forced prostitution that exploited them for decades. The lawsuit, filed in Seoul, marks a significant step in seeking accountability from the US military, which has maintained a presence in South Korea since the Korean War. The women are seeking an apology and 10 million won (approximately $7,200) in damages each, highlighting their tragic experiences of abuse and exploitation during their youth according to Indiatimes, TRT Global, Le Monde, and Dawn.

Historically, tens of thousands of South Korean women were coerced into prostitution within state-sanctioned brothels that catered to US troops from the 1950s to the 1980s. Many victims have come forward to recount their experiences, noting that the surrounding economy, which included various support services for the troops, constituted a significant portion of South Korea's GDP during that era. Plaintiffs in the recent lawsuit shared harrowing accounts of physical abuse by soldiers and disturbing medical practices enforced on them under duress according to Indiatimes, TRT Global, and Le Monde.

The 2022 ruling by South Korea's Supreme Court stated that the government had "illegally established, managed and operated" brothels to support US soldiers. This prior judgment ordered the South Korean government to compensate around 120 plaintiffs, highlighting the historical context in which these women found themselves. Notably, this lawsuit uniquely places part of the blame on the US military, asserting that they were aware of the plight of these women yet refused to intervene according to Indiatimes, TRT Global, and Dawn.

The United States Forces Korea (USFK) has acknowledged awareness of the allegations but has refrained from commenting during the ongoing legal process. They maintain that they do not condone any actions that violate South Korean laws and affirm their commitment to high standards of conduct among their personnel. The case underscores the deep-rooted issues surrounding the treatment of women in such systems as well as the broader implications of military presence in foreign lands according to Indiatimes, TRT Global, Le Monde, and Dawn.