The Soviets proved as ruthless as the Japanese, and the prospect of a free and independent Korea, that fervent hope that had animated generations of patriots, faded. Rampant were the stories of corruption, of executions without trial, of drunken Russian soldiers looting shops, ransacking homes, and raping Hamhung women. Traumatized girls and women began disguising themselves as boys and men in hopes of eluding sexual assault.
