Chloe Kwak examines the comfort women issue in Asia through a feminist lens, focusing on the insights of feminist international law scholars. Her research explores the interplay between communities and states in memory politics, focusing on the construction of diasporic memories, especially concerning the establishment of memorials honoring comfort women.
She received an honorable mention from the FTGS committee for the paper “Unsilenced Voices of Comfort Women: The 2023 Court Decision to Deny State Immunity of Japan” presented at the ISA conference in April 2024.
Ph.D. Candidate, Political Science, University of Connecticut (2026)
Subfields: International Relations and Comparative Politics
Ph.D. Dissertation in Progress:
Diasporic Memory Choreographers and Negotiations:
Constructing Group Identity, Social Memory, and Comfort Women Memorials
Activism
Chloe is also a Korean American community activist dedicated to pursuing justice for victims and survivors of sexual slavery in Asia and beyond.
She engages in various forms of activism, advocating for the construction and preservation of memorials dedicated to 'comfort women.' Her efforts aim not only to honor and remember the victims and survivors of wartime gendered violence but also to educate future generations.