Established in , Durebang first began working with young Korean women who had been forced and or deceived into working in the camptown sex industry.
As these camptowns thrived with restaurants, shops, bars, and clubs operating for military soldiers, many women working in the camptowns regularly faced violence and exploitation. Campaigns were enforced that required the women to undergo regular health inspections and cruel treatment plans to ensure the safe enjoyment of U. In the mids, the demographic of women working near U. Today, Durebang works to support aging and elderly Korean women survivors who entered the camptown sex industry in the s, 70s, and 80s and migrant women who are currently in or have left the camptown nightclubs in recent years.
When I began my work with Durebang, it was both exciting and nerve-wracking. I learned about the U. However, the negative social and environmental impacts of having an overseas military base were rarely mentioned. When I first arrived in Korea, I was ignorant of the many persisting issues in our society and the harsh realities of the effects of militarism and sexual exploitation.
Through my placement with Durebang, I have been challenged to learn of the reality of the exploitation and oppression of women around military bases and the work to bring justice to women. It is through acceptance, kindness, and care that Durebang has created a community for these marginalized women.
In addition to providing medical and legal assistance, counseling services, emergency assistance and intervention, shelter services, and repatriation support, they also participate in solidarity projects and campaign work, regular outreach programs, and organize workshops and therapy programs for clients. In particular, the elderly Korean women clients who were victims of the U.
