Why Koreans criticize Japan’s atrocities during the colonial era
In Korea’s history, August 29, 1910 is the most painful day. Joseon dynasty, the then Korea, was annexed to Japan. For 36 years, Korea had been under the colonial rule of Japan. 75 years passed from independence, yet Koreans never forgive Japan’s atrocities during the colonial era. What makes Koreans still express anger over Japan’s past misdeeds?
Many Koreans severely criticize Japan for its “I-don’t-care” attitude towards its history. Japan denies its atrocities, including wartime crimes, that victimized hundreds of thousands of Koreans. Among many crimes, the following three things are the most brutal crimes committed by Japan during the colonial era: comfort women issue, forced labor issue and brutality of Unit 731, the Japanese army which undertook human experiments for biological and chemical studies.
Since the late 1930s, the Imperial Japanese Army sexually enslaved astonishingly 200,000 women, mostly teenage girls from Korea and China. Some women have been abducted by Japanese soldiers; others have been talked into going to military brothels in Asian countries, hoping that they would have a well-paid job at factories. In the military brothels, women were stuck into a squalid room, being raped by dozens of Japanese soldiers everyday. Brutal behaviors were rife. Women, who’ve expected a baby after being raped or trying to escape from the military brothel, were killed.
While women were routinely raped, Korean men were forced into working for factories that produce weapons and goods for the Imperial Japanese Army. Korean men, from teenagers to old men, have been exploited by Japanese companies, including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, toiling in mines in Hashima island. The working condition was awful: Korean men were subjected to forced labor in narrow mines over 16 hours without salary. Many men died in Hashima island.
And, Unit 731, the Japanese troops during World War 2, have taken Korean people and its prisoners of war for biological and chemical experiments. As many as 580,000 people have been killed by the Japanese Army germ warfare and human experiments.
Such cruel crimes by Japan themselves are frustrating. Combined with Japan’s misconduct, Koreans are still appalled by Japan’s attitude to its shameful history.
The Japanese government claims that it already apologized for comfort women and forced labor issues by handing money to the Korean government in 1965. But, none of victims noticed the fact. Most Korean citizens, including survivors, denounce Japan, saying that its apology lacks sincerity.
A handful of Japanese citizens do soul-searching for the sex crimes committed by the Imperial Japanese Army. But, the Japanese government, the Abe’s regime in particular, and nationalists in Tokyo show unwillingness to take responsibility for Japan’s wartime crimes. As shown on “My name is Kim Bok-dong”, a documentary film shows the life of the late survivor of comfort women and women’s rights activist, Shinzo Abe claimed that none of comfort women had been coerced into military brothels. Moreover, far right-wingers in Japan mock comfort women by leaving a provocative remark: “All comfort women have voluntarily catered to Japanese soldiers to make money by prostitution.”
But, Koreans are not alone in being sexually assaulted by the Imperial Japanese Army. Women in China, the Philippines, Taiwan, Indonesia, East Timor, Australia and the Netherlands have also been sexually assaulted by Japanese armies, though the vast majority of victims are Koreans. Given that 200,000 women from many counties, including wealthy Western countries, Japan’s assertion — that comfort women were prostitution who’ve been keen to sell sexes to earn for living — is absurd.
Japan also denies the existence of forced labor. It claims that all Korean men were migrant workers who had a well-paid job, denying the forced labor. When the Supreme Court in Seoul ruled that Japanese companies are responsible for the forced labor in the 1940s, it removed South Korea from its trade whitelist in retaliation. Moreover, Japan registered Hashima island on the UNESCO World Heritage List, introducing the place as a tourism spot. It never talks about the forced labor issue to tourists.
Frustratingly, survivors of comfort women and forced labor are still waiting for a sincere apology from the Japanese government. Japan claims that it has already offered an apology by providing money to the Korean government. But, giving money to Seoul to end the controversy over its past misdeeds is a behavior that looks down on victims and their ordeals. What survivors genuinely want is a sincere apology, not money. Japan, however, is just destroying the dignity of survivors, and they show no sign of atoning for their crimes.
Japan also turns blind eye to human experiments conducted by Unit 731. In 2014, when Angelina Jolie produced ‘Unbroken’, a film that describes wartime crimes, including the atrocities of Unit 731, Japanese, particularly right-wingers, demonized the Hollywood star for spreading racism. Even with ample evidence concerning Unit 731’s brutalities, Japan never admitted its misdeed, just condemning Jolie.
Rather than admitting its wartime atrocities, Japan unashamedly uses the Rising Sun flag, or the Asian version of Hakenkreuz. The Rising Sun flag has been used as a symbol of Japan’s imperialist army. And, during WW2, Japan killed Koreans, fighting against America and European countries under the flag. It’s obviously a symbol of Japan’s imperialism, but Japan is whitewashing its history, using the flag.
No wonder Koreans are still outraged at Japan’s “I-never-give-a-fuck” attitude towards its wartime history. Many Koreans say Japan needs to learn lessons from Germany, which continuously makes atonement for crimes against Jews. Japan’s attitude to its wartime brutalities mean that it is violating human rights of survivors of comfort women and forced labor across the world. Japan cannot hide its crimes by distorting history. Admitting its wartime crimes and a sincere apology is the only way to seek forgiveness.
