Western Princesses in the Borderlands: A Christian Feminist Ethical Analysis of U.S. Military Prostitution in South Korea

How would international politics look if we gender-consciously analyzed globalized militarism led by the United States? Taking gender as a tool in analyzing U.S. militarism, this dissertation delves into the bodily experiences of Western princesses -- Korean sex-workers who cater to U.S. military servicemen. Korean women's selling sex to American GIs has been a social reality for over six decades. These women, however, have been significantly silenced in the realm of international politics as well as in theo-ethical discourse. Based on socio-historical analysis of U.S. military prostitution in South Korea, this dissertation argues that the bodies of Korean sex-workers have been the borderlands between U.S. imperial desire and Korean patriarchal nationalism. From a Christian feminist perspective, this dissertation seeks out transnational solidarity countering globalized militarism, which is the root of suffering and human indignity of militarized prostitutes. Transnational solidarity will be elaborated after contemplating how to use the Bible, tradition, reason, and experience in the context of globalized militarism and military prostitution, what sort of justice to be promoted, how to recognize the agency of Korean military sex-workers without obviously victimizing or glorifying them; and how to build up healthy solidarity based on shared suffering.