politics

S Koreans rally on Japanese colonial anniversary

31 Comments

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LOL. All the whapenese complaints about Koreans being "emotional"(a traditional racist stereotype of Korean in Japan) says more about the wide-spread ignorance about Japanese war atrocities and the persisting ignorance about Japanese denials. Pot calling kettle black???? Korea has never invaded other countries and tried to exterminate their culture and national identity nor have they enslaved 5.4 million people into forced slavery including sexual slavery for teenage girls. Get a grip.

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In spite of ill timing, I wonder how this Korean mob will react if Japan doesn't like SNSD who are touring Japan right now.

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It is said that, "When you point a finger at someone, there are three fingers pointing back at you."

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Get over it Korea and China. Nobody can change history. "A pot should not call a kettle black." Is there a Japanese saying like that?

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Badge213 at 03:44 AM JST - 31st August Hundreds to 1000 people and the headline makes it sound like the WHOLE >country was doingit.

There's no story in reporting on the vast numbers of people who want to move on. There's only a story in reporting and perpetuating the hate.

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Hundreds to 1000 people and the headline makes it sound like the WHOLE country was doingit.

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No, "no good deeds", they only built the infrastructure and modernised the country. No good deeds there... no sir-eee.

Yup. Koreans seem to conveniently forget this. I've seen some archival pre-colonial photos of Seoul and the place was a dump. Do a quick google and you'll find some.

Too much free time and too much kimchi, as always do they go over the top. Cry their eyes out when the neighbourhood dog dies, fight their head off if they can prove something. Overreacting is korean culture and the press shouldnt take these demos serious.

Sometimes I doubt if the majority of Koreans are capable of anything but an emotional response. Logic and rationality seems to go out of the window when you engage them in argumentation. Must be all those sappy melodramas they watch. They end up mimicking a soap opera.

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Japan colonized Korea in 1910. They were out by 1945. So... 35 years of colonization, followed by 65 years of apologies. It's the continued demand for "compensation" that make all this business ring hollow. Just continued extortion attempts by a small group of losers in a great country.

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I personally think this attitude of the Koreans (and even Chinese) is one core strategy to work on the Japanese government and the Japanese nationals. I do not say it's good or bad because it should be a good tool for Koreans. As Japan becomes weakened, Koreans and Chinese would do it more to get their benefits. I can't predict the future but it may work more than it has ever made. But if those non-Japanese governments & nations do it badly, there's no more chance for them. Strong economy of Japan has helped the JP government be kept ok in appearance, which lasted for decades. This kind of conflict will last as long as the history goes on.

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Too much free time and too much kimchi, as always do they go over the top. Cry their eyes out when the neighbourhood dog dies, fight their head off if they can prove something. Overreacting is korean culture and the press shouldnt take these demos serious.

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OssanAmerica: right on the money. Korea is divided for the following reasons. First Japan lost the war and Russia marched in from the North. Second The UN couldn't reach a victory in the Korean war because China sent massive numbers of troops to fight the UN. China is ultimately the most responsible for the cuurent 2 state disaster we have now. The South should ask China for an appology as well.

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I bet there were more than a few "scuffles" with police. The South Koreans really do like a good protest. As for an appology well, don't hold your breaths.

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grafton; Japan does not need to apaolgise further, but and it is a big BUT, don`t start playing down what happened (usually a silly minister) and be carefull about not making silly foot in mouth comments.

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martinli92 at 02:20 PM JST - 30th August The people of both Koreas should keep asking question: WHY,why Japan has >to do such discriminating policies over her neighbours by implying >western imperial systems over people has same cultural background, was >that too selfish?

Because from Japan's perspective, ie; watching the the actions of European colonial powers, tghe only way to avoid being dominated or colonized was to "westernize" as soon as possible, then to expand that Empire. Japan released Korea from Qing Dynasty rule, the "sick man of asia" that had been whipped by England in the Opium War.

this is a question the Japanese must answer and a 'sincerely apology ' >was due!

They already did in 1965. They've apologized numerous times since.

The division of koreas over the 38th parallel was rooted from the >Japanese imperial policy over Korean >peninsula and US intervention by >putting unpopular leader like Sungman Ree! Those historic mistakes were >the cause of today's tensions in north east asia!

Wrong, the division is because of Jospeh Stalin and the USSR that supported Kim iL Sung. And that the Kortean War didn't end with United Nations victory and a unifiued Korea under South Korean control is due solely to CHINA who sent troops into Korea to kill UN troops.

So please keep asking 'WHY' and the recent apology from Japanese PM Mr >Kan is far from acceptable and satisfable!!

Please stop with this PRC red guard nonsense. When is China going to apologize to the United Nations?

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stevecpfc, maybe you are starting to get it. Kan just apologized for the Japanese state and it has no effect. The reason is because he had nothing to do with the Korea decision. The people who made the decisions are long dead. I think these Korean people just want to be mad about something.

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about 200 protesters braved heavy rains to rally in front of the Japanese Embassy, waving the South Korean flag and chanting “Apologize! Apologize!”

You want an apology again? It`s only been two weeks since the last one.

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stevecpfc at 09:06 PM JST - 30th August

“YuriOtani; what happened to Hiroshima and Nagasaki was done by Americans ancestors and this generation had nothing to do with it.”

Which might go part way to explaining why no apology for the barbarity of it has never been forthcoming. But Steve are you saying (in clear terms) that Japan has no need to apologise to Korea or are you just getting a sly dig in at YuriOtani?

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YuriOtani; what happened to Hiroshima and Nagasaki was done by Americans ancestors and this generation had nothing to do with it.

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1,000 to maybe 1,200 demonstrated and it got news coverage?

By the way, what is the population of South Korea?

proxy at 03:09 PM JST - 30th August

Very well put.

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What happened to Korea was done by our ancestors. My generation and myself had nothing to do with it. Try going to a old people hospital or a cemetery to demand your apology.

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talk about living in the past.

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No that was definately not the case, those were no 'good deeds' the Japanese intention to do over Korea but their selfish aggressions to conqueor asia! Those so called 'reforms' were part of the 'Tanaka memorium, the quest to expand and conqueor instead of exploring civilizations to Korea!

No, "no good deeds", they only built the infrastructure and modernised the country. No good deeds there... no sir-eee.

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That is quite a humdinger. The problem seems to be that you can't apology for something you deny. Japan apologized for war atrocities Japan never committed? LOL.

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martinli92

Why? Because Japan saw all of its neighbours come under colonial boots and decided not to be colonized. To that end, after the Meiji restoration Japan rapidly industrialized and came the conclusion that to remain free industry was not enough but the means of industry, i.e. raw materials needed to be secured.

Japan needed to be a military power to remain free and needed to use its military to secure resources at all costs.

After Korea was granted independence from China under the Treaty of Shimonoseki and other concessions were made to Japan the Triple Intervention forced Japan to give up most of the other concessions at which time the European powers expanded their influence and seized Chinese cities, ports and Russia grabbed the Liaodong Peninsula.

The humiliation Japan suffered and the behavior of the powers turned Japan away from just seeking economic ties with its neighbours but outright colonization.

The independent Korean Empire created in 1897 was an easy target for colonization and if Japan did not make a move, another country would and Japan would be shut out of trade.

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@kyoken: Japanese brought a lot of pain to Korea, they pushed them to transform --with never seen speed-- from an agricultural nation into an industrial one. Korea would not be such a high-tech nation as it is, if not for Japan.

No that was definately not the case, those were no 'good deeds' the Japanese intention to do over Korea but their selfish aggressions to conqueor asia! Those so called 'reforms' were part of the 'Tanaka memorium, the quest to expand and conqueor instead of exploring civilizations to Korea!

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The people of both Koreas should keep asking question: WHY,why Japan has to do such discriminating policies over her neighbours by implying western imperial systems over people has same cultural background, was that too selfish? this is a question the Japanese must answer and a 'sincerely apology ' was due! The division of koreas over the 38th parallel was rooted from the Japanese imperial policy over Korean peninsula and US intervention by putting unpopular leader like Sungman Ree! Those historic mistakes were the cause of today's tensions in north east asia! So please keep asking 'WHY' and the recent apology from Japanese PM Mr Kan is far from acceptable and satisfable!!

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Correct me if I'm wrong but hasn't Japan already provided compensation to SK?

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While it is unquestionable that the Japanese brought a lot of pain to Korea, they pushed them to transform --with never seen speed-- from an agricultural nation into an industrial one. Korea would not be such a high-tech nation as it is, if not for Japan.

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Ossan, I think that he numbers are telling. 1000, with 200 marching on >the embassy. This was THE hundredth anniversary. This is apparently far >less important to people than Beck's MLK shindig was to US people. It is not a victory for Japan or a defeat for Korea. It is a victory for reconciliation and mutual friendship.

It's sad that the media never cover the reconciliation part but only prints stories like the above. If we are to assume that the vast majority of South Koreans want reconciliation and accept the apology, it shouldn't be all that hard to put together a story and some interviews.

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"“We urge Japan to comprehensively address the unfortunate history between South Korea and Japan within this year,” said Yang Soon-im, a leader of the activists."

I wonder if the split infinitive is included in the original Korean.

If you look at the rest of the rhetoric, it is toned down. I don't know if I can trust AP's translation though.

Ossan, I think that he numbers are telling. 1000, with 200 marching on the embassy. This was THE hundredth anniversary. This is apparently far less important to people than Beck's MLK shindig was to US people.

It is not a victory for Japan or a defeat for Korea. It is a victory for reconciliation and mutual friendship.

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These people need to grow up and get on with their lives. When someone apologizes you need the maturity and dignity to accept it. If the old folks who personally suffered until 1945 can't let it go, fine. But don't throw this burden of hate on the shoulders of the young SKoreans. It merely hinders their task of building the future of their country in the 21st century, a world entirely different from what they knew.

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