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Japan returns remaining 1,200 Korean royal archives

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Nice move Japan.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Only took them 66 years.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

Better late than never.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

"annexation of the peninsula'? I am sure Koreans use a different word entirely.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Yes, but it was not without a price.... South Korea had to agree to provide another two years of Korean Drama programs to Japan in the deal....

10 ( +13 / -3 )

This is a very shameful part of Dai Nippon Teikoku! One day I hope Japan can sincerely apologize to the Korean people.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

It doesn't undo all the injustice done during the WWII, but just like someone pointed out, it's better than never

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Hide Suzuki: "It doesn't undo all the injustice done during the WWII, but just like someone pointed out, it's better than never"

Wow... I can't believe I'm agreeing with you! :)

I actually wasn't even going to point out the WWII injustices or that it's better late than never, I was just going to say I'm happy to see Japan trying to push relations forward. Good on Japan for returning these.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

I guess it took 66 years to scan them all.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

As you all know, during the French campaign against Korea back in 1866, the French forces looted almost 300 ancient books of Korea. Only in 2010 did France decide to return the books to Korea but on a renewable lease. Japan is returning the books for good. Can you imagine what would have happened to those books(volumes) if Japan did not have possession of those books? I won't answer that, since it may offend some Koreans.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

@smith, wow, I can't believe it either, what has the world come to :)

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Happy point.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The ball is on Korea’s side of the pitch now. Can we please have an end to the anti-Japanese cartoons? They are about as xenophobic as anything I have ever seen.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

How long will it take until the British, French, and American Museums will start returning artifacts stolen during their imperial legacy i.e. Boxer Rebellion. I would guess never. Very admirable Japan, this is good news.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Is there any way that both parties can now say the war and occupation is over or is there a need for continual demands for retribution that the present generation have no responsibility for. "Let it go, let it go."

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Better late than never l guess good to see common decency prevail and the Japanese return what is not theirs.

But one comment about the article "Japan annexed Korea in 1910 and its rule ended in 1945 following the Japanese defeat in World War II"

If by annexed you mean invaded, over threw the ruling government and enslaved the population yeah l guess thats one word you could use. Personally l would have said Japan conquered and enslaved Korea but then again Japan isnt quite at the point of grasping their real history yet maybe in another 60 to 70 years.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Just now... 65 years after the fact...? Anything else you feel like returning...? Anyone interested, can do a google search, you will see that Japan literally still has tons of stuff "acquired" (at the point of a gun) from their Asian neighbors... (Oh, but I forgot, Japan is a victim...LOL...)

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

The ball is on Korea’s side of the pitch now. Can we please have an end to the anti-Japanese cartoons? They are about as xenophobic as anything I have ever seen.

In other words, you're demanding the South Korean government tear down the constitution and outlaw freedom of speech? Should they also start jailing citizens who post those hilarious pictures?

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

The ball is on Korea’s side of the pitch now. Can we please have an end to the anti-Japanese cartoons?

First I think it important to be sure Japan is not keeping anything else and not whitewashing the history. Until both of the points can be clearly answered "yes", enjoy the anti-Japanese sentiments. Never mind about ancient history. What Japan has not returned and the whitewashing of history is today, right now.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Good one China sailor...

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

In other words, you're demanding the South Korean government tear down the constitution and outlaw freedom of speech? Should they also start jailing citizens who post those hilarious pictures?

FAIL. You're using "other words" that have no relation at all to notasap's post. Notasap never called for the cartoons to be made illegal NOR did notasap call for anyone to be arrested. The fantasy world in your mind is the only place those desires reside.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Re: Museums and their "acquired" exhibits...

Back in the day, travel was much more difficult and a museum in Europe could have a valid reason for exhibiting artifacts from halfway around the world. With the ease of global travel, however, the justification for a museum outside Egypt to have Egyptian artifacts is greatly reduced. Unless the artifacts are on loan from the original country, historical artifacts should be returned to their countries of origin. This would improve tourism as then more people would visit those countries to see the artifacts.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

He requested that those cartoons be stopped despite South Korea having freedom of press written into its constitution.

Maybe you should learn to read.

I've probably been reading English since before your father was just a sperm cell in HIS father. Notasap ASKED (and even used "please" when he did) if there could be "an end to the anti-Japanese cartoons?" He never demanded anything, yet that's what you accused him of "in other words." (FAIL ONE) He never even IMPLIED that the authors of said cartoons should be censored by the South Korean government. (FAIL TWO) And he never called for their incarceration. (FAIL THREE)

There is nothing wrong with my ability to read and what I read from you has zero to do with what I read from him.

(My apologies to Notasap if "he" is actually a "she".)

1 ( +1 / -0 )

A nice gesture, but wouldn't it be even better to fix the problem with Japanese history textbooks? The education system here fails to teach younger generations about the magnitude of Japan's wartime aggressions not only in Korea, but in China as well. Returning these documents is full of good intentions, but fails to solve the problem of Japan glossing over wartime their attrocities.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

FAIL. You're using "other words" that have no relation at all to notasap's post. Notasap never called for the cartoons to be made illegal NOR did notasap call for anyone to be arrested. The fantasy world in your mind is the only place those desires reside.

Do you not know how to read? Did you even bother to read the entire article? Tokyo agreed to return the documents last year in an effort to improve ties with the Korean government. It was a government level exchange between Seoul and Tokyo. Notasap then requested that the Korean side(the government) to end those cartoons which is a breach of South Koreas constitution. Banning such cartoons is illegal period.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

@vg866,

(Notasap said) The ball is on Korea’s side of the pitch now. Can we please have an end to the anti-Japanese cartoons? They are about as xenophobic as anything I have ever seen.

Show me in any of the ENTIRE three sentences of Notasap's post where he specifically requested the South Korean government to do ANYTHING about the carttons or the cartoonists who drew them. This was obviously a plea directed at the cartoonists themselves. When I refer to "Korea" (or "Japan", or "America", etc) I'm referring to the population as a whole - not just the government. I also never misinterpret a request to cartoonists as being a request to the government because I DO know how to read without drawing conclusions that have no basis.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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