Research Interest
My research is broadly on gender and armed conflicts. I am particularly interested in (a) accountability for conflict-related sexual violence and (b) gendered legacies of military operations. Regionally, I am also interested in gender justice processes in Africa after the Cold War and in East Asia after World War II. My research agenda also encompasses armed groups and military behaviors using computational methods such as text analysis and geospatial analysis.
Publications
Kenwick, M. Lee, S. & Kolcak, B. (2025). Military Experience and Casualty (In)Sensitivity: Evidence from Congressional Discourse During the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Journal of Conflict Resolution. Link.
Brannon, L. & Lee, S. (2025). Rebel Party Governance and Accountability for Wartime Sexual Violence. Security Studies. Link
Lee, S. & Tomashevskiy, A. (2023). Punish or tolerate? State capacity, military oversight, and wartime sexual violence. International Interactions. Link
Midlarsky, M. I. & Lee, S. (2022). Distancing the Other: Religious Violence and Its Absence in South Korea. In Raudino, S. & Sohn, P. (Eds.), Beyond the Death of God: Religion in 21st Century International Politics. University of Michigan Press. Link
Working Papers
Bringing Justice Back Home? Domestic Accountability for Wartime Sexual Violence [Abstract]
Currently Under Review. Winner of the 2022 EGEN Award. Presented at APSA 2022, EGEN 2022, Peace Science 2022, ISA 2023, PRIO Workshop on Justice During Armed Conflicts, and University of Amsterdam.
Violence Continues in Shadow: The Limited Deterrent Effects of the ICC on Wartime Sexual Violence. [Abstract]
Currently Under Review. Winner of the 2021 Roberta S. Sigel Best Paper Award, Women and Politics Program, Rutgers University. Presented at ISA 2021 and EGEN Cornell 2023.
Rape after Civil Conflict: How United Nations Peacekeepers’ Actions Shape Prevalence (with Priscilla Torres, Kou M. Gbaintor-Johnson, and Sabrina Karim) [Abstract]
Currently Under Review. Presented at the APSA 2022 and EGEN Cornell 2023.
Legacies of Wartime Sexual Violence: Evidence from World War II “Comfort Stations” (with Risa Kitagawa) [Abstract]
Currently Under Review. Winner of the 2025 APSA Conflict Section Best Paper Award. Presented at Peace Science 2023, Belfer Center, JPOSS, and APSA 2024.
Selected Work in Progress
Gender Justice for Whom? Domestic Accountability for Conflict-Related Sexual Violence [Book Manuscript]
Domestic Legitimacy and (Non)Accountability for Sexual Violence (with Summer Lindsey)
Leaving the Door Open: ICC Withdrawal and Curious Norm Compliance in Africa (with Bo Won Kim)
The Puzzle of Post-Conflict Violence Against Women (with Angie Torres-Beltran, Priscilla Torres, Taylor Vincent, Zinab Attai, and Sabrina Karim) [Book Manuscript]
Other Work Published
Lee, S. & Hudson, V. M. (2022). Rising Backlash Against Gender Equality in South Korea Undermines Stability. The Diplomat. Link.
Sumin Lee 