🇰🇷 🇺🇸 More than 100 South Korean women forced to work as prostitutes for US soldiers stationed in the country have filed a landmark lawsuit accusing Washington of abuse, their lawyers said on Tuesday, September 9.
Historians and activists say tens of thousands of South Korean women worked for state-sanctioned brothels from the 1950s to 1980s, serving US troops stationed in the country to protect the South from North Korea.
In 2022, South Korea's top court ruled that the government had illegally "established, managed and operated" such brothels for the US military, ordering it to pay around 120 plaintiffs compensation.
Last week, 117 victims filed a fresh lawsuit, this time officially accusing and seeking an apology from the US military, for the first time. The lawsuit seeks 10 million won ($7,200) in compensation per victim.
Unlike the better-known "comfort women" used by Japanese soldiers until the end of World War II, those who worked for the US troops have received relatively limited attention, largely due to Washington being Seoul's key and longtime security ally.
The economy surrounding military brothels in US base towns, including restaurants, barbershops and bars catering to American GIs, made up about 25% of South Korea's GDP during the 1960s and 70s, according to historians.
"I still cannot forget being beaten by US soldiers, slapped for lowering my head while pouring drinks, for not smiling, or for no reason at all," one of the plaintiffs, in her 60s and who did not wish to give her name, said in a statement sent to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
She said she was only 17 when she was tricked into the job – she thought she was going to be a bartender, but was forced into sex work and told she could not leave due to her "debt."
"Every night we were dragged to US soldiers and sexually abused. Every week we were forced to undergo venereal disease tests.
If there was the slightest abnormality, we were locked in a small room and injected with a thick needle of strong penicillin," she said. "The shots were so harsh that my legs gave out and I couldn't even walk."
In a joint statement, women's rights activists supporting the victims said the US military "ignored the South Korean Constitution" and stripped the women of their personal freedom and "destroyed their lives."
The suit names the South Korean government as the defendant, since under existing laws Seoul must compensate victims of illegal acts committed by US soldiers on duty and later seek reimbursement from Washington, lawyers said.
"This lawsuit seeks to hold both the South Korean government and the US military authorities jointly liable for the unlawful acts," lawyer Ha Ju-hee told AFP.
The United States still stations around 28,500 troops in South Korea.
Officials in western 🇩🇪 Germany have sought to calm online speculation following the deaths of 16 candidates, including seven from a far-right party, in the run-up to a local election.
Voters will go to the polls on 14 September in North Rhine-Westphalia, the country’s most populous state.
However, online conspiracy theories have been running rife after the deaths of several candidates, including seven representing the far-right Alternative for Germany (AFD) party.
AfD co-leader, Alice Weidel, highlighted the initial deaths on social media with a post on X saying “4 AfD candidates died.”
However, Dr Martin Vincentz, a spokesperson for the North Rhine-Westphalia branch of the party, told Sky News the confirmed number had risen to seven.
In a statement, he said the AfD was saddened by the news but that, according to the information they had received so far, there was “currently no indication of unnatural deaths".
Some of those running had known pre-existing conditions.
In total, 16 candidates are believed to have died, with police already ruling out unnatural causes in four of the cases, according to the DPA news agency.
The seven AfD nominees were standing for election in a variety of districts and with confirmed ages between 59 and 80.
The far-right party is reported to be the only one that has had more than one candidate die.
In all districts where candidates have died, any completed postal ballots will need to be re-cast, local media said.
Ahead of the vote, a spokesman for the local election commission tried to dispel intense online speculation, telling the media that the number of deaths was "not significantly higher" than in previous campaigns.
dominique: I'm afraid I'm not on X and the video is age restricted and requires signing in. I've checked multiple news sources, he's yet to be confirmed dead
It's too graphic to post on YouTube.
Watch it. You'll be convinced he didn't make it. It's impossible.
dominique: If the bullet had severed an artery shouldn't blood be gushing out? The bullet may have narrowly missed a vessel but chances of surviving such GSW is very low
Watch the video.
Blood was pumping everywhere. Whoever took that shot was a former sniper.
dominique: It has not been confirmed yet that he's dead. Sadly America happened to him . The gun control bill American politicians are unwilling to pass will always come back to haunt them.
Utah Speaker Mike Schultz confirms Charlie Kirk has died.
Utah Valley University spokesperson says suspect is not in custody. Person taken into custody after Charlie Kirk shooting was not actually the shooter.
Trump ally Charlie Kirk shot at event in Utah, source says
Trump ally Charlie Kirk was shot at an event in Utah on Wednesday, a source familiar with the matter says.
The extent of Kirk’s injuries were not immediately clear.
Kirk is one of the most prominent pro-Trump activists and conservative media personalities in the United States. He has garnered millions of fans and co-founded Turning Point USA, an organization that advocates for conservative politics on high school and university campuses, in 2012.
The FBI is monitoring the incident at Utah Valley University, the agency’s Director Kash Patel said.
“Our thoughts are with Charlie, his loved ones, and everyone affected. Agents will be on the scene quickly and the FBI stands in full support of the ongoing response and investigation,” Patel said in a post on X.
Just before the shooting, Kirk posted about an event at the university. “Utah Valley University is FIRED UP and READY for the first stop back on the American Comeback Tour,” Kirk wrote in a post on X.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said he’s being briefed by law enforcement on the incident involving Kirk.
🇷🇺 In what could be a miracle improving and saving thousands of lives across the globe, Russia's mRNA-based vaccine Enteromix has displayed 100% efficacy and safety in clinical trials.
The treatment which targets and destroys cancer cells while efficiently shrinking large tumours, now awaits final approval from the Ministry of Health before being made available to the public, RT India reported.
Enteromix was developed using cutting-edge technology, similar to the one used in COVID-19 vaccines. It works by training the immune system to recognize and eliminate cancer cells. Additionally, it is personalized for every individual patient.
Interestingly, unlike chemotherapy or radiation, there were no serious side effects of the vaccine and patients tolerated it well.
Earlier, it was revealed that Russia had begun clinical trials of the new EnteroMix oncolytic vaccine with 48 participating volunteers.
The drug was developed by the country's Ministry of Health's National Medical Research Radiology Centre in collaboration with the Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology (EIMB) of the Russian Academy of Science (RAS).
The start of the clinical trial was announced at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2025), held from June 18 to 21 in northern Russia. The event, organized by the Roscongress agency under the Russian President’s office, showcased Russia’s progress in medical research and biotechnology.
As per a report in MedPath, Enteromix makes use of four harmless viruses to attack and destroy cancerous tumours while also boosting the immune system to fight the disease.
After going through several years of testing, it has shown effectiveness in slowing down growth and in some cases completely destroying the cancer.
With the trials out of the way, the only remaining step is regulatory clearance. If approved, Enteromix could become the first personalized mRNA cancer vaccine available to the public.
Foreign Affairs › Korean Women Raped & Forced Into Prostitution By U.S Soldiers File Lawsuit (Pix) by Kaliningrad(op): 2:54pm On Sep 11, 2025
. The gun control bill American politicians are unwilling to pass will always come back to haunt them.
