In the dichotomy between force and agency in prostitution, the placement of comfort women, girls taken by Japan during WWII and forced into sex service, presents a clear field in which the question of agency fades. With the deep impacts of war intrinsically linked with comfort women, the issue of representation reemerges as a potent symbol in post-war peace. This paper examines the realities and symbols of Korean comfort women as it relates to Japanese relations. Jeffrey Alexander's theory of cultural trauma will be applied to the process of these representations and establishing these women as both victims and survivors, not only contained to personal perseverance but also as a powerful, living symbols in the building of images of Korea.