83 International Journal of Korean History(Vol.11, Dec.2007) G G G G Christian Women's Movement in Korean Modern History and Peace & Unification MovementG G G G YUN Jeong-ran* G G Introduction Experiences under the Japanese occupation, wars and South-North division are major factors in shaping the lives of Korean women. 50-yearold division on the Korean Peninsula aggravated pains afflicted on women, along with spread of militarism culture. For women who experienced the modern history and considering the Korean situation in progress, peace and unification movement become the significant issue. Therefore, Korean women aggressively participated in peace and unification movement and anti-war campaigns through South-North exchanges. For the sake of peace and unification movement, women set up organizations and take actions thank to th on-going active actions of Christian women. Colony, Korean war, South-North Division and Christian women Creation and Development of Christian Women's movement Christian women movement was born and developed in the late 19 GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG Q Lecturer, Department of History, Soongsil UniversityG 84 Christian Women's Movement in Korean Modern History and ~ century in the wake of deprivation of national sovereignty and Japanese occupation. In the late 19st century, Christianity was introduced to Korea, contributing the Korean modern history, especially, Korean women. At that time, Korean women thought the religion as a hope of life. Early Christians endured any pressures and challenges in order to spread what they were told to other women. Christian women didn't sit idly about political and economic issues. When the movement aimed at paying back national debts under the Japanese occupation women organized groups to engage themselves in it very actively. Since then, they also played a pivotal role in the national movements such as pine-bamboo suicide squads, hurrah campaigns in 1919 and anti-Japanese justice activities. In the 1920s. women formed nation-wide groups to earn supports from people and to explore ways to link women's movements with national movements. Korean women under the Japanese occupation were forced to think hard about the issues of nation and women. Christian women built nation-wide organizations and at the same time carried out women's movement in solidarity with socialistic women. First, forming nation-wide organizations was pursued simultaneously in and out of churches.1 Out of churches, in 1922, YWCA was organized to push for national and women movement together. Until the late 1920s urban women took the lead in carrying out women movements ranging from anti-illiterate movement, women's rights restoration movement such as abolishing concubines, minor-bribes and government-sanctioned prostitutes to women's lifestyle improvement movement such as hygienes, child-rearing, cooking class and studies of modern outfits. The purpose of them is to enlighten women. They were at the forefront on the conviction that independence can be gained from women's change. Meanwhile, within churches, women in Methodism and Presbyterian formed a nation-wide groups respectively. In Methodism, nation-wide groups were set up respectively by North Methodism in 19202 and South Methodism in 19243. In 1930, nation-side women organization was formed after North and South Methodism were integrated. On the other YUN Jeong-ran 85 hand, in Presbyterian, in 1928 national women evangelism inauguration plenary, an exclusively women's group, was held4 Groups spanning from coast to coast gave the opportunity for women to share information about each region, laying the foundations to move in a more constructive direction. And women's issues could be more easily shared. Second, solidarity with socialistic women was forged by Geun-woohoe(ֽฎ) organization. The members of the organization didn't feel comfortable with the stated goal of socialistic movement. But they were greatly inspired and encouraged. Christian women utilized experiences in the 1920s to break away from the urban-focused movement to expand the rural areas while promoting women's suffrage within churches. Rural enlightenment movement and temperament movement under way outside churches are part of efforts to strengthen the women power and draw more supports from people. While these movements were sought outside churches, women's suffrage movement was pursued within churches. At that time when our sovereignty was lost, Churches were the only organization for Christian women to resist against the paternalistic system. They were grudgingly seeking the national and women's movement in parallel. But, from within, they resisted against the paternalistic system. Eventually, the experiences gave way to movement to push women into the National Assembly after the liberation. Liberation, Korean war, South-North Division and Activities of Christian women Since the liberation in 1945 and until the Korean War and the ensuing division of the Korean Peninsula in the 1950s, representative campaigns carried out by Christian women are as following. First, they took the lead in organizing the Korean women's groups and forming Yeoja gukmindang(ୀ֝ࢢ)ۥ, a women-initiated political party. Korean women's group, since the liberation, were gathered at 86 Christian Women's Movement in Korean Modern History and ~ YWCA buildings to discuss the women organization. Against the backdrop, Geonguk buyeodongmaeng(Ս֝ऀ )ࡃܛڀwas formed at that time.5 Several groups such as Dokrip aeguk chokseong jungangbuindan (ోࠩܒনணऀۚ) and Daehan buinhoe(۩ऀฎ) were created. And in these organizations women played a central roles. After Korea was liberated and until the governments in South and North Korea were separately established, Christian women put their lion share of efforts into catapulting fellow women into the National Assembly.6 That's because unless women made their way into the Congress, passage of legislation women wanted was impossible. After liberation, Women used their experiences under the Japanese colonization to abolish women quotas, government-sanctioned prostitutes, get the recognition of gender equality and impose a ban on concubines by passing the law with no avail. In the process, women made efforts to enter the National Assembly for the passage of laws and took various activities such as publishing the housewives newspaper. But, men blocked women's endeavors in being elected members of National Assembly, lack of financial resources, social disregard, paternalistic way of thinking among women in general and 92% of women's illiteracy and ignorance. As a result, after the general election was held to form the constitutional congress, no women was elected. Christian women, however, were not discouraged. In 1950, as many men were dead during the war, women took the place of men to become the bread-winners, expediting the women's entering into a society. Along with this, Christian women's organization was refurbished including YWCA and 'Korea Women's Christian Temperance Union(۩֗ܒ׆ ୀୣ୪ฎฎ).'7 Based on this, Daehan buinhoe(۩ऀฎ) produced 11 candidates for the second congressional election in 1950, and among them, one was finally elected. After this feat, Daehan buinhoe(۩ऀฎ) promoted women's rights by pushing for the legislations. These efforts paid off. For example, a bill to ensure menstruation holidays and leaves before and after delivery for working women was passed by one-vote margin and a bill for dual YUN Jeong-ran 87 punishment in adultery crimes was also passed. They wanted to keep up the momentum. Members of Daehan buinhoe(۩ऀฎ) contacted lots of opinions leaders to wage a campaign to convince people into making amendments of the law. But, their attempts were thwarted by men who were strongly caught up with paternalistic mind-sets.8 A vast organization of Daehan buinhoe(۩ऀฎ) played an central role in facilitating the activities taken by the department dedicate to bill amendments and women's projects. In the mid-late 1960s, Christian women built upon it by encompassing all the denominations to establish the Christian organization all the denominations to establish the Christian organization and pay attentions to scial, women and women's rights movement within churches. In 1967, Hanguk gyohoe yeoseong yeonhaphoe(֝֗ฎনฎ) organized Korea Church Women United, taking the lead in women's movements here until the late 1980s. Under the United, local, international and piggy-money and world prayer committees were working.9 In the early days, mostly they acted as a stooge for the government only the change the nature of activities since 1974. In other means, the human rights committee was newly established to stand for protecting the human rights.10 Under the auspices of world churches and women, it worked with NCC human rights committee and women evangelism group to engage themselves in democratization movement such as filing petitions and issuing statements in order to plead for release of political prisoners as well as console their families. In parallel with this, with the goal of restoring the human rights of victims of atomic bombs, they appealed to the Japanese government and the global community, surveyed the Korean victims of atomic bombs, raised money, treated the victims, supported financial aids for affected families and educational aids for second-generations, and held seminars on nuclear. And their first priority was to promote women's human rights. For instance, there were movement to oppose shopping around bar girls, actions to back up female workers for their right to survie, movement to create women-dedicated department and movement to support women 88 Christian Women's Movement in Korean Modern History and ~ ordination. Women's human rights and peace movements waged during the mid-1970s became the role model for NGO activities of today. Korean Women NGOs and Efforts for Peaceful Reunification Peace Movements by Women NGOs Along with movements for women's rights, movements to resolve wartime comfort women, and political representation by women, these days Korean women NGOs are focusing on efforts to achieve peaceful reunification.11 The peace movements in Korea began with Hanguk gyohoe yeoseong yeonhaphoe(֝֗ฎনฎ)'s project in mid1970s to provide aid for victims of atomic bombing. Some 20 thousand victims then suffered from disease and poverty in Korea, after the bombings on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were dropped around the end of the Second World War. The organization brought the public attention to the issue as one of the un-resolved post-colonization problems, while, at the same time, stepping up various measures for the victims. Peace movements kicked off, led by this organization in 1970's. In the 1980's, the movements began growing far more diversified and goal-oriented. In late 1980's, christian women presented mission and direction of Korean women's peace movement, voicing their stance of anti-war, antinuclear, and pro-peace movements as effort for unification movement, independence movement, and life-salvation movement. At the same time, they launched a movement to ban the use of tear bombs. The government then used the tear gas to rallies crying out for democracy in the nation. The women kicked off the anti-teargas movement, citing damages on police and ordinary citizens, as well as ecosystem. After adopting a statement of ‘Let's Ban Use of Tear Gas That Threatens Lives of Ordinary citizens,’ the organization resolved the ban movement, submitted a proposal banning the use of the gas, established a damage complaint YUN Jeong-ran 89 center to launch activities such as peace march, research on tear gas manufacturers, protest calls, rallies, pamphlet distribution, and signature seeking campaign.12 In 1988, Korean Female Theologians' Statement on Reunification and Peace' was declared by female theologians, and in 1989, a women's conference on peace was held a number of anti-nuclear activities including movement to block construction of nuclear power plants and remove nuclear weapons and to remind of the meaning of peace movements. ‘Women's Peace Bazaar’ was held to establish funds for such purposes and a movement was launched to trade war toys with environment-friendly pollution to eliminate war-like culture.13 In 1990's, the peace movements were expanded in overseas countries. In 1991, an international appeal was made against the Iraq war led by the U.S. and the U.N., declaring that any wars running counter to life and peace cannot be justified in any way. A set of full scale mass-education campaign activities were launched through issuing a statement on 'Our Stance on the Gulf War' and holding debates on topics of the war and war-like culture, along with writing letters and distributing fliers. At the same time, a movement to reduce war budget was launched to insist on awareness of lack of national welfare and on expansion of welfare spending on women. 1991 was the first year for 'Presentation on Campaign geared towards Defense Budget Reduction' and a signature signing campaign participated by one thousand supporters. In 1992, a movement started to write letters, in a form of fly sheets, voicing reasons for reduction of defense budget. In 1993, planning began for long term projects on researches for activities to reduce defense budget and expansion of welfare budget for women. In 1994, a movement was held against weapon purchases, regarding the U.S. government's plan on setting missiles in South Korea after North Korea's decision to disallow nuclear inspection.14 As a result of such efforts, in 1997, ‘Pyeonghwareul mandeuneun hoe(ඌฃࠜ ݁ ۀฎ)’ was established and the movements grew more specialized. 90 Christian Women's Movement in Korean Modern History and ~ Led by the group, various movements began on anti-war disarmaments, fostering of peace culture, research on peace, before 1998 was designated for ‘disarmament year,’ geared towards more detailed and specialized movements. Women NGOs' Movements for Reunification As for the movements for reunification by women, after the National Council of Churches in Korea adopted ‘Korean Churches' Declaration on Reunification’ in its general meeting in 1980, Korea YWCA began reunification movements by holding debates and symposiums on women's role, affected by the declaration.15 Entering 1990's, the reunification movements by women were centered by contacts between the two Koreas, aid for North Korean, and for North Korean defectors in South Korea. In the 1990s, affected by adoption of the inter-Korean resolution and the softening stance on North Korea under the Kim Yeongsam administration, it became possible for women from the south and the north to hold meeting for four times from 1991 to 1993, under the theme of 'peace and women role of Asia,' connected by Japanese women. In the first round of the meeting took place at Tokyo in Spring of 1991, the second round in Seoul in Autumn of 1991, and the third in Pyeongyang in Fall of 1992, and the fourth at Tokyo in Spring of 1993. In the second round of the meeting, participants agreed that comfort women issue was in common interest between women from the two Koreans, and therefore, the victims of the wartime sex slavery testified the prostitution forced by then Japanese government at an international open hearing on war compensation by Japan held at Tokyo in December of the same year. In 1993, women from South and North Korea jointly proposed the comfort women issue, by co-participation in 'an international conference on war and women issue' at Berlin, Germany and at the UN's human rights' conference in Vienna, Austria. Through such conferences, women from the two Koreas confirmed their common interest in ‘comfort women’ by cross-border contacts. However, such contacts stopped following the YUN Jeong-ran 91 death of former N.K. leader Kim Ilseong, food shortage crisis caused by natural disasters, and the first nuclear standoff in 1994.16 However, in late 1990's, the sunshine policy by the Kim Daejung administration in Seoul resumed and propelled the contacts between the inter-Korean women. In 1998, in Beijing China, three-party talks were held among women of the two Koreas and Japan, to exclusively debate the comfort women issue and to adopt a joint statement, to the Japanese government and the UN's human rights' council. In 1999, 4 representing South Korean women visited three North Korean representatives to propose a inter-Korean women conference. After the South-North Summit was held in June 15th 2006, South and North Korean women have become more active in interchanging and communication. Moreover in Oct. 2002, 300 women from South and 100 women from North had the meeting at Mt. Geumgang in North Korea to understand each others throughout playing games, climbing mountain Geumgang and having discussions. By October 2005, a large group of 100 South Korean women visited Pyeongyang which was the first group visit since the division of Korean territory. Discussions about the roles of women towards Unification and visits to education center for North Korean women have reinforced South Korean women in understanding actual situations of women in North. It was on March 2006 that 30 female representative from South and North Korea joined in the meeting held at Mt. Geumgang in North Korea. The more the meetings were held frequently, the more the mutual understandings between women in South and North increased throughout events like ‘6.15 Celebration of SouthNorth Joint Declaration’ or conference held during ‘8.15 Revolution celebration’. In 1995, over worsening of the North Korean economy, South Korean women launched a movement to send necessities to the North, a beginning of such humanitarian aid. In 1995 and 1996, floods attacked the North, and in 1997, food shortage reached a serious level due to a draught, hails, chronical impoverishment of social infrastructure, falling behind farming technology, and shortage of foreign reserve. To this end, South 92 Christian Women's Movement in Korean Modern History and ~ Korean women provided aids, through activities for sending rice, powered milk for children and the pregnant, and underwears. In addition, the number of North Korean defectors hit the 1 million mark and support them. Presently, women organization like YWCA and Gyohoe yeoseong yeonhaphoe(֗ฎনฎ) and Hanuk yeoseong danchoi yeonhap(֝ন఼ۚ) and Pyeonghwareul mandeuneun (ඌฃࠜ ݁ ۀฎ) are waging campaigns consistently. YWCA is focusing on campaigns to set the record right for North, and restore the revival of North-based YWCA, and to operate programs aimed at helping North Korean refugees. Since 2001 it studied and published educational materials for children, teaching peace and unification to kids aged 6-10 in nurseries around the country, For women who signed up for YWCA job shops, it teaches them information about North, raises awareness about unification and preparation after the fact. Programs to help North Korean refugees have been implemented since 2001. For Gyohoe yeoseong yeonhaphoe(֗ฎনฎ), it focused on missionary works for victims of atomic bombs and anti-personnel landmines, and pursued projects to achieve unification on the Korean peninsula, make nuclear-free zones and help children in North Korea. For Hanuk yeoseong danchoi yeonhap(֝ন఼ۚ), it pushed for South-North exchanges among women, broadening peace and unification education, helping women and children in the North and cutting down defense expenditures. For its part, Pyeonghwareul mandeuneun(ඌฃࠜ ݁ ۀฎ) is taking actions as follows. First, for South-North reconciliation and cooperation, it is preparing and implementing actions including lending a helping hand to pregnant North Koreans and children, promoting women exchanges, hosting discussions, making recommendations about women peace unification, asking for women's participation in unification, foreign affairs and defense as well as hosting panel discussions on roles of Asian peace and their roles. Second, it is taking actions aimed at spreading peace culture including peace-culture education, training women peace leadership, peace-culture YUN Jeong-ran 93 puppetry and peace camp-peace travel. Third, there are movements to cut down on defense budget, ban on anti-personnel landmines, monitor legislative activities for preventing excessive defense budget, amend SOFA, create women's rights, to oppose MD, oppose militarism in neighboring countries such as Japan, wage online campaigns to flying off peace notes to the sky, urge anti-war women actions and head off crisis on the peninsula. Fourth, they are working with international groups including hosting a world women peace disarmament day, hosting an international women peace symposium, working for anti-militarism women's network and exchanges, being in solidarity with world women groups and going in pilgrimages to international hot spots. Fifth, it is actively working for peace and unification movement including conducting surveys on women's awareness about unification, examining case studies between women vs unification and women vs overseas unifications. Conclusion As mentioned earlier, Korean women's peace and unification movement came to the surface and became much more acute because we went through Japanese occupation, Korean War and division of the peninsula. Today, development and maturity of Korean women's movement serve as the foundations for it to be much professional and international. Christian women's activities dating back to the late days of Chosun dynasty went through Japanese occupation to take on much developed forms despite ups and down in Korean modern history, recently pulling off many accomplishments such as promotion of women's rights and women's human rights. Growth of women's movement helped women aggressively take the lead in peace and unification movements to reject the spread of militarism culture. Women-driven peace and unification movements shaped themselves totally separated from men-driven 94 Christian Women's Movement in Korean Modern History and ~ unification movements. So far men-driven unification movements have been moving in the direction of putting premiums on unification as vehicle for unification not as a goal itself. When six-way talks to establish a peace regime on Korea and Northeast Asia are gradually coming into realization, the task ahead for women peace and unification activists now is what attitudes and actions should be taken to make future-oriented and open social environment. Key Word:Korean Christian women, Colony, Korean war, South-North Division, Korean Women NGOs, Peace Movements, Movements for Reunification Notes : 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Yun Jeongran, Hanguk gidokgyo yeoseong ui yeoksa(gukhakjaryowon, 2003), pp. 29-98. Jangbyeonguk, Hanguk gamrigyo yeoseongsa(seonggwangmunhwasa, 1979), pp.387-389. Ibid., pp. 384-285. Lee U-jeong, Lee Hyeon-suk, Hanguk gidokgyo jangrohoe yeosindohoe 60nyeonsa(Hanguk gidokgyo jangrohoe yeosindohoe jeongukyeonhaphoe, 1989), p.82. Lee Seunghi, Hanguk Hyeondae yeoseongsa(baeksanseodang, 1994), p.65. Yun Jeong-ran, “Haebanghu gukgageonseolgwajeongeseo uik jinyeong yeoseongdeului uihoejinchulundong”, yeoksamunhwayeongu 24(Hanguk oegukeodaehakgyo yeoksamuhwayeonguso, 2006), pp. 241-242. Yun Jeong-ran, “Hangukgyohoewa gidokgyo yeoseongundong”, Hangukui gidokgyo(Gyeopbogi, 2001), p.178. Hangukbuinhoechongbonbu, Hanguk yeoseongundongui yaksa: 1945-1963 inmuljungsim(1986), p.81. Lee hyeon-suk, Hanguk gyohoe yeoseongyeonhaphoe 25yeonsa(Hanguk gyohoe yeoseongyeonhaphoe, 1992), p.40. YUN Jeong-ran 95 10 Ibid., pp.76-81. 11 Ibid., pp.113-132. 12 Gim yang-hi, Yang Ae-gyeong, Jeong suk-gyeong, Hanguk yeoseong pyeonghwaundonge daehan uisikgwa baljeon banghyang(Hanguk yeoseong jeongchaek yeonguwon, 2000), p.44. 13 Ibid., p.44. 14 Ibid., p.48. 15 Jeonghyeonbak, “Hangukui yeoseongpyeonghwaundong, geu seonggwawa gwaje”, Sahoegwahakyeongu 12-2(Seogangdaehakgyo sahoegwahakyeonguso, 2004), p.296. 16 Gim yang-hi, Yang Ae-gyeong, Jeong suk-gyeong, Ibid., p.49. 96 Christian Women's Movement in Korean Modern History and ~ ֝ࢂొߧ ֝֗ܒ׆নրඌฃധଵܛ ଗ୨ޯ (৬ਓ۩) ଵ୪G ਐࢢଭG լSG ୢ୕SG ْँंۚG ݊ଠG ֝Gন݅ଭG ॾଡGָ୨ۀG ண૬ G ૬ଲG ܣતۗUG 50ڂG ଲঃG ুܤG ْँंۚଠG ֞ॷசଭG ࢂฃଭG คॺրG ״G নଭG ճധଡG ԧணਏ೬ۀG લ්ଡG ઼ۗUG ଲ߇G ֽ෮۩ॷࠜG լրG ܛ ਏG ෮୍ෘணG ֝ଭG ঃจছG ඌฃG ധଵܛଠG ন݅՚G ண૬G ࢂ ୪ԧG ܣતۗUG ֻছG ֝G ন݅ଠG ْँG ֗ࠑࠜG ധG ࢱܑG ඌฃധଵܛSG ࢱୢܛG ݊G ୡּୡଞߦG ఞ઼ۗUG ඌฃധଵܛଡG ැG ন݅ଲG ఼ۚࠜG ճG ฆ්ܛG G ଼՚G ܤG ՓଠG ֜࠱ऀഉG ૈגُہG ୢԹܤG ֗ܒ׆G ন ݅ଭGୡּୡGฆܛG଼તۗUGGG ֜࠱ऀഉG ਏୁܤG ֗ܒ׆G ন݅ଭG ฆܛଠG ଵ୪G ਐࢢਏࠜ׆G լছG ࣪ۗG ۳G ࢳୢܤG ෴ߦG ࣡ฃଞSG ැࢺSG ୢ୕SG ْँंۚG ݊G ֝෮۩ॷଭG ֠ մGুছܑGন֫ଳSGন֫G݊ଡGැGଠGߚڋଡG׆GէրGֽౖG ଠG নրࠜG ՋܪતۗUG ଲ߇G নܛଭG নୋଠG ন݅ଲG ֞ॷசଭG ࢂฃଭG ค ॺଡGՋऀۀGඌฃധଵܛGୡּୡଞߦGசܑ՚G݅તۗUGG ন݅ଭG ඌฃധଵܛଠGැࢺG ଲบGْনணਕଭGധଵܛրۀGۗࠛGఙছG ଲ߿ઘճG ଼ۗUG ֻܛੲG ْন݅ଲG சୋ۶G ധଵଡG G ඌฃԧG ੰۏG ඌฃࠜG G ധଵଲޭۀG ۚଡG ࣪ۗG ۳G ண૬ਏG ۀ׆G ࢺේଞߦG ੰيԧ՚G ۗUG ࢱ ܑG ੰँܛਏੰG ඌฃ఼୪ࠜG G ]ୀG ฎۡଲG ఙG ఼֜ୡG ෮ਓߦG ݅ઘيճG ଼ۀGׁG ন݅ଭG ඌฃധଵܛଠGࢠG ඌୡଲճG ԹࢺୡG ॷฎG ฅլଡG ැGઘݬGܑࠜGեճGਓవැઉGۀԧGր୪ߦGْੰG଼ۗU ச୪ઘa֝ ֗ܒ׆ন ਐࢢ ֝ୢ୕ ْँंۚ ֝ন /(0T ඌฃ ܛധଵܛ
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