[KS] Re: Japanese Colonization Period

Sat Sep 2 21:20:20 EDT 2000

REPLY sends your message to the whole list
__________________________________________

The hundreds of years fell between Hideyoshi and the late 1880's and
culminated in annexation of Korea in 1910.  Long range perspective of
Japanese shoguns and other warring clans plus pirates.

Nurnberg Gesetz for the Japanese just like the Germans - try them for
massive war crimes (including medical experiments) and make they pay $60
billion in reparations just like the Germans. Massacre of Korean civilians
during Hirohito's rule.

British WWII survivors of Japanese forced labor  just protested last week in
front of the Japanese Embassy in London. Is that current enough?

Were Chun Doo Hwan and Kim Jong IL aligned with the Japanese during their
occupation?..Better to have prosecuted Col. Kaneyama (Kim Suk Won), Jung
Hung, Kim Dae Suk, Jung Bong Duk et al and their Japanese commanders.

John

----- Original Message -----
From: "Frank Hoffmann" <hoffmann at fas.harvard.edu>
To: <korean-studies at iic.edu>
Sent: Saturday, September 02, 2000 5:39 PM
Subject: Re: Japanese Colonization Period

> REPLY sends your message to the whole list
> __________________________________________
>
>
> "The Japanese tried for hundreds of years to conqueror the Koreans (...)."
> Hundreds of years  ... did they try this every year, every other
> year, every five years?
>
> "If Emperor Hirohito was hanged like the other Nurnberg War Crimes
> Trial defendants perhaps there would be a more balanced view of the
> colonial occupation."
> So we are with hanging now as a solution for what? War crimes only?
> Would you then also propose to hang Chun Doo Hwan? Will we hang Kim
> Jong Il?
> A more balanced view ... we ... who is "we"?
>
> As for Mr. Haas' original question. I am a little shy to respond ...
> there are a number of good books giving a somewhat different view
> than the usual nationalistic rhetoric Mr. Haas was talking about.
> Just to mention one new publication: Gi-Wook Shin and Michael
> Robinson (eds.), _Colonial Modernity in Korea_, Harvard UP, 1999.  I
> especially recommend the introduction, "Rethinking Colonial Korea"
> (written by the mentioned editors), but also all the other chapters.
>
> Frank
>
>
> >Carlon,
> >
> >The Japanese tried for hundreds of years to conqueror the Koreans, then
> >later to suppress or perhaps eradicate those elements of culture that
made
> >the Korean people for thousands of years Korean.  Change their names,
forbid
> >their language, history, culture and make them obedient servants of the
> >Showa Emperor. Big brother - little brother syndrome.
> >
> >Today, Korean residents in Japan after 55 years are still humiliated,
> >shunned by Zaibutsu, undereducated, rarely intermarry, because many
Japanese
> >view the Koreans as a culturally inferior people suitable for second
class
> >status not citizenship.
> >
> >It is very difficult for any historian to sort out the facts you are
seeking
> >while the Japanese refuse to officially apologize or even acknowledge
what
> >they did to the Korean people during 1910-45.  If Emperor Hirohito was
> >hanged like the other Nurnberg War Crimes Trial defendants perhaps there
> >would be a more balanced view of the colonial occupation.
> >
> >John
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Carlon Haas" <king_of_seoul at yahoo.com>
> >To: <korean-studies at iic.edu>
> >Sent: Saturday, September 02, 2000 12:55 PM
> >Subject: Japanese Colonization Period
> >
> >
> >>  REPLY sends your message to the whole list
> >>  __________________________________________
> >>
> >>  Hello to all on the list,
> >>
> >>  I am in need of help.  My wife (she's Korean) and I
> >>  got into a bit of an argument over a touchy Korean
> >>  history subject: the Japanese Colonial Period.  I have
> >>  read books written by Koreans that were subsequently
> >>  translated into English.  When it comes to the
> >>  Japanese period, the phrasing starts to change from
> >>  fact into vaired opinons, such as "It was the darkest
> >>  period of Korean history", "the brutal japanese
> >>  regime", etc.  Although I think this was a horrible
> >>  period in Korean history, I cannot condone this
> >>  historical methodology.  So, I ask the venerable
> >>  scholars on this list if:
> >>
> >>  1.  There is any book available in Korean written by a
> >>  Korean historian that goes into any detail about the
> >>  period in a factual way.  Especially if any book
> >>  delves into the roles of the collaborators.
> >>
> >>  2,  For those who went through the Korean educational
> >>  system, what di you learn about that period in school?
> >>
> >>  I have broached on this subject wiht Koreans, but I
> >>  get a very emotional response.  It's like talking
> >>  about racism in America.  So, are there any books one
> >>  an recommend?  Do these kinds of books exist?  I don;t
> >>  like to argue about these things, and if these books
> >>  exist in Korean I feel I should read them.
> >>
> >>  Thanks,
> >>
> >>  =====
> >>  Carlon Haas
> >>
> >>  http://www.geocities.com/king_of_seoul
> >>
> >>  __________________________________________________
> >  > Do You Yahoo!?
> >  > Yahoo! Mail - Free email you can access from anywhere!
> >  > http://mail.yahoo.com/
> >  >
>
> --
>      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Frank Hoffmann * 314 Wilde Ave. * San Francisco, CA 94134 * USA
> E-MAIL: hoffmann at fas.harvard.edu  *  Fax: (520) 438-4890
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