Because of the popularity of this series, here is the full index.
Part I: Overview
Part II: Korea and Japan in Pre-Modern Times
Part III: Japan's Occupation of Korea during World War II
Part IV: Korea and Japan after World War II
Part V: How Contemporary Korean Nationalism Shapes Korea's Attitude Toward Japan Today
Currently, the most robust discussion has been occurring Part III. However, please read the entire series for the whole context.
Friday, February 27, 1998
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11 COMMENTS:
I came here to address this comment you made comparing Korea and Hawaii. I tried to find an appropriate post to fit it into, but couldn't find one.
The Korean wrote:
If you want to be precise about it, sure — I will accept your words on face value that you have no sympathy on Imperial Japan. But that statement above does display a shocking lack of moral sensitivity.
Far more Koreans died as a result of Japan’s annexation than Hawaiians as a result of the U.S.’s annexation. Far more Koreans were brutally exploited as a result of Japan’s annexation than Hawaiians as a result of the U.S.’s annexation. The manner of those deaths and exploitations evinces a brutality that only a few handful of events in human history match.
It is always a dicey business to compare the relative lows of the low points of human history. But as far as Korea and Hawaii, there should be no contest. This is not to diminish what happened at Hawaii. Rather, this is a straightforward observation that anyone with a functioning moral compass makes: there is nothing more important than human life and dignity. And the debasement of human life and dignity that imperial Japan caused upon Korea occurred at a much great extent than the same that U.S. caused upon Hawaii.
Anyone with a functioning moral compass is able to form a moral hierarchy. Everyone knows stealing is bad, but not as bad as murder. Here, you put on the same level two things that clearly belong to different levels. If you equated a thief and a murderer, it is not very surprising that people might conclude you have an undue sympathy for a murderer. That’s not 100 percent correct, but it should not be a surprise.
With all due respect, I think you may be wrong about this. Frogmouth is on the right track when he asks if the American annexation of Hawaii really is acceptable.
It is not clear how many Koreans died as a direct or indirect result of Japanese takeover, and neither is it clear how many native Hawaiians died as a result of the American takeover.
What is known is that both sovereign kingdoms were lost when a more powerful force decided to take them over for strategic gain. Economically speaking, the Americans raped this land and the Native Hawaiians still pay the price. There was cultural genocide much like the Japanese assimilation policies of Korea.
The big difference is that Korea was made independent again (though divided) and Hawaii never was. There is a movement to change that, and there are radicals that declare Hawaiian statehood to be bogus, much like our precious Samil Undong.
I do not say this to downplay Imperial Japan's nefarious acts in Korea, but to suggest that it is best not to rank the two. Both were very bad acts, and there are serious repercussions even today.
Anyone who rationalizes the Japanese annexation of Korea by saying it was no different from the American annexation of Hawaii is probably utterly ignorant of the issues involved in Hawaii. And probably ignorant of the issues in Korea as well.
For someone who starts looking into modern Hawaiian history, it becomes clear that the Korea-Hawaii comparison is apt. But only because they were both shi++y ways for a people to be treated.
I have to agree with Kushibo. It is well documented that the Korean population before Japanese occupation numbered only 8.9 million people. Before the Japanese, the Chosonn people didn't document their own #s very well.
From 8.9 million, the population doubled to over 22.2 million people when the Japanese left the peninsula in 1945.
So to say that the Japanese did nothing but kill people and the population degrading is a flat out lie.
From Britannia online (http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/322222/North-Korea/34928/Demographic-trends)
[[[ North Korea’s population grew fairly rapidly after the Korean War, more than doubling in size between 1953 and 1993. Although the rate of population increase began slowing in the late 20th century, it is nearly twice that of South Korea. ]]]
The rate of population increase in NK was nearlly twice??? Impressive...
If we accept Benelliman reasoning, this must be a crucial evidence that allegedly the most horrible and oppressive regime on earth, North Korea had been actually far better place to live than South korea (at least untill early 1990s).
The single biggest factor in increased life expectancy from the late 19th century onward is decreased infant and child mortality as a result of Western medicine.
However, it was not the Japanese that introduced Western medicine, it was Christian missionaries, who were tasked by the royal government with setting up hospitals.
Even if Japan had not taken over, this would in all likelihood have continued, perhaps even at a faster pace, since Koreans would have had control of Korean coffers and resource development would not have been geared toward providing food and materials for the Japanese home islands.
The late Chosŏn dynasty was utterly mismanaged, but that trajectory had changed significantly before the Japanese had taken over (in no small part thanks to certain positive Japanese influences). The military takeover of Korea by Imperial Japan was not only unnecessary, it stunted progress.
I forgot to add...
The single biggest factor in increased life expectancy from the late 19th century onward is decreased infant and child mortality as a result of Western medicine, which also led to an corresponding increase in population growth since fertility was not curbed until the 1960s.
The large population growth can mean many things, but it does not mean there was no abuse of the local population by the authorities (and that applies both to colonial Imperial Japanese military rule and post-war military rule).
Kushibo,
The fact that Korea regained its independence doesn't make Japan any better b/c as we all know it was the Allies who made Japan give up its occupied territories.
As for the US, the annexation was actually the request of the white residents in Hawaii who had taken arms and thrown out the Hawaiian monarchy. Morgan Report strongly criticized the interests in Hawaii and the US for their unjust acts up to that point, and the President Cleveland rejected annexation. Later on the US government reluctantly annexed Hawaii because the white inhabitants refused to put down their arms unless the islands would become a territory or a state of the US.
What you wrote regarding death and population is completely laughable.
It is clear from the accounts regarding Hawaii's annexation that any deaths were battle-related (including whites on both sides of the aisle). The US government/police/marines/whatever-u-name-it did not kill/massacre/exploit Hawaiians as the Japanese did the Koreans. It's very conceited and plainly stupid to compare Japan's war crimes & exploitative policies often likened to the Holocaust to something of this scale.
African populations grew dramatically during European colonial rule, but that does not deny the fact that many Africans were killed and had to suffer tremendously in material, cultural, and spiritual ways. Western medicine was being brought over to Korea before and during the Japanese occupation. Korea's population growth was inevitable and doesn't mean anything for Japan's case. (And after gaining independence, the population bombs completely sucked out any economic progress and caused perpetual poverty in these failed African states.)
You're trying to confuse the actors, which, in Hawaii's case, was definitely not the US federal government. It's like that retarded Japanese' arguing in Wikipedia that the war crimes committed by the Vichy government are French war crimes, and therefore the war crimes committed by Koreans in Japanese army should be described as Korean war crimes.
As for the poor state of Korea before the occupation, wouldn't you agree that the Japanese invasions during late 16th century was the cause? Had the Japanese not caused 2 million deaths and 60% reduction of arable lands, Korea should have maintained its economic, scientific, and cultural advantage over Japan until now. It's hard not to imagine otherwise.
What allowed Japan its "industrious" capacity (different from "industrial") after more than a century of warfare were the abducted Korean artisans.
"What allowed Japan its "industrious" capacity (different from "industrial") after more than a century of warfare were the abducted Korean artisans."
hahaha
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hahaha
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no comment
Korea hates japan because of history..
Korea hates japan because japan's far BETTER than them.Accept it or not.
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You seem to suggest that the Japanese are racially superior to the Koreans & Japan was "far better than" Korea all throughout history.
"Accept it or not," Korea was technologically and culturally superior to Japan until the mid-19th century & the Japanese court continued to invite Korean scholars on important state occasions until then.
Just don't try to overlook the Koreans' historical concerns by characterizing them as mad hatred and jealousy for Japan. (I've met a Korean guy who thinks Korea's economy is bigger than Japan.)
I don't get how you would come to that conclusion if you knew anything at all about the annexation. Plus, Japan is a big country. It's 3x bigger than S. Korea in terms of population & land size. What would you expect? Koreans would be somehow 3x smarter or 3x as productive?
dokebi,
Check out the girl's blog. She is obviously distraught over breaking up with a Korean guy and is just lashing out. Not worth responding to.
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