S Korea expresses regret to Japan over memorial for mine workers

There’s a lot of regret going on when the wrongs of the past continue to influence the people of today…

i regret reading this.

saying the weekend event did not match up to what had been agreed by the natio

Japan always try to say something nice, prior being listed as UN Heritage list or ceremony. That's happened before during listing effort Hashima Island to World Heritage list, Japan promise everything Japan could to Korea at the end just left Korea disappointed after being listed as World Heritage. Now happened again in Sado mines.

https://thediplomat.com/2020/06/remembering-japans-colonial-abuses-against-koreans-on-hashima-island/

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2020/06/21/national/politics/Hashima-Island-Unesco-Japan/20200621180800345.html

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Japan always to have own version of history.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_history_textbook_controversies

https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14982616

What I can't understand is Japan's obsession with "world heritage sites." How many gold mines are there in the world? The mines in South Africa, Russia and the Yukon must be bigger and more spectacular than the one at Sado. Gold has always been a part of human history, but for thousands of years people have been digging for it all over the world.

The next "world heritage sites" could be the Tokyo subways, or traditional Japanese drop toilets!

Tokyo refuses to accept responsibility for its war crimes and can't accept or come to terms with losing in WWII, which also means territory loss.

Can anyone explain the cause of this insensitive and seemingly immature behaviour from the Jp govt?

It seems obvious to the world that Japan should have acknowledged it enslaved SOuth Korea and expressed regret during this time. They are not stupid; they knew it would be insensitive to South Koreans.

What was the point in leaving out the apology and acknowledgment of wrongdoing?!

What I can't understand is Japan's obsession with "world heritage sites." 

It's not just Japan. It's a combination of wanting to preserve history and hoping to draw in tourists. For UNESCO, it's funding and lots of fun junkets. They also want to preserve history, and would probably inscribe 90% of the planet if given the chance. They are the flip site of developers who would like to cover 90% of the planets with concrete and steel. So they serve a purpose.

I haven't looked very closely at the conscription of mine workers, but there are a couple of overlooked points that provide nuance.

One is that all mine workers were treated horribly. This was true to varying degrees in most countries. Japan's mine workers were beaten, murdered and often treated like dogs. This was true whether they were from Korea or Honshu. I expect there was some discrepancy in treatment between Korean workers and Japanese, but to what degree I don't know. Rather than hear about the treatment the Korean workers got, I want to hear how it compared to the Japanese workers - many of whom were also forced to work the mines.

Another point is that Korea was considered an integral part of Japan at the time. So, as Japanese were conscripted to work in mines (or to die in Burma), so were Koreans.

Most countries have very shameful episodes in their histories. If people don't move on, those episodes are repeated. They should be remembered and understood in the context they occurred. They should not be used to divide people today.

Maybe untrue, but I saw on Twitter that the main Korean objection was to a Japanese politician who had reportedly been to Yasukuni being invited. It then worked out that the politician, who's female if it matters, hadn't actually visited Yasukuni and Korea's knowledge was based on mistaken reporting by Kyodo being picked up by media in SK.

https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15524233

commanteerToday  10:26 am JST

I haven't looked very closely at the conscription of mine workers, but there are a couple of overlooked points that provide nuance.

One is that all mine workers were treated horribly. This was true to varying degrees in most countries. Japan's mine workers were beaten, murdered and often treated like dogs. This was true whether they were from Korea or Honshu. I expect there was some discrepancy in treatment between Korean workers and Japanese, but to what degree I don't know. Rather than hear about the treatment the Korean workers got, I want to hear how it compared to the Japanese workers - many of whom were also forced to work the mines.

Another point is that Korea was considered an integral part of Japan at the time. So, as Japanese were conscripted to work in mines (or to die in Burma), so were Koreans.

Most countries have very shameful episodes in their histories. If people don't move on, those episodes are repeated. They should be remembered and understood in the context they occurred. They should not be used to divide people today.

Please do not attempt to diminish the suffering of the Korean slaves on Sado Island.

Yes, some Japanese workers faced harsh conditions during the war, including Sado Island, including long hours, low pay, and unsafe environments, especially in mines and factories.

However,Korean forced labourers endured far worse treatment due to systemic racism and their colonial status, including forced recruitment, brutal working conditions, torture, starvation and murdered (when they couldn't work due to illness etc.).

While Japanese workers had minimal legal protections, Koreans were often treated as expendable, unpaid, and subjected to severe discrimination and abuse.

forced recruitment, brutal working conditions, torture, starvation and murdered 

Again, all of these have been true for Japanese workers as well. I don't doubt that Koreans got the worst of it, but it has to be seen in context.

While Japanese workers had minimal legal protections,

The key word here being "minimal." Legal protections under a military dictatorship are hardly worth mentioning.

> commanteerToday  10:56 am JST

forced recruitment, brutal working conditions, torture, starvation and murdered 

Again, all of these have been true for Japanese workers as well. I don't doubt that Koreans got the worst of it, but it has to be seen in context.

While Japanese workers had minimal legal protections,

The key word here being "minimal." Legal protections under a military dictatorship are hardly worth mentioning.

lol

In what universe is enslavement (they were forced to work without pay while Jp workers chose the work), racial and physical abuse, torture, starvation, and murder equal to hard work and low pay?

Donald SeekinsToday  09:18 am JST

What I can't understand is Japan's obsession with "world heritage sites." How many gold mines are there in the world? The mines in South Africa, Russia and the Yukon must be bigger and more spectacular than the one at Sado. Gold has always been a part of human history, but for thousands of years people have been digging for it all over the world.

The next "world heritage sites" could be the Tokyo subways, or traditional Japanese drop toilets!

Insecurity and a drive to be recognised and praised by the international community. It goes back to the Meiji period.

If something in modern times can't be found to argue about, then let's just look back at history and we can really start fighting.

JohnToday  11:20 am JST

If something in modern times can't be found to argue about, then let's just look back at history and we can really start fighting.

What does this even mean? Are you saying history is entirely unimportant and not worth discussing?

In what universe is enslavement (they were forced to work without pay while Jp workers chose the work), racial and physical abuse, torture, starvation, and murder equal to hard work and low pay?

Yours, I guess, since that's not even remotely what I said.

Hardly surprising Japan denies massive abuses that went on at home:

They are in a state of permanent denial about even worse, brutal, sadistic things they perpetrated abroad: the Nanjing massacre, for one, and a host of other events that involved mass-killings/rapes.

This is a total nothingburger.

I am very critical of Japan on matters relating to foreign workers or discriminatory policies. Harping on things that took place almost a century ago and those in which both the perpetrators and victims are most certainly deceased by now is pointless and unproductive.

Japan has current-day issues that demand far more attention. Actually, so does S. Korea - I have heard their situation regarding foreign workers is also quite atrocious. Focus on what matters here and now, everything else is merely political posturing and distraction.

wolfshineToday  02:24 pm JST

This is a total nothingburger.

I am very critical of Japan on matters relating to foreign workers or discriminatory policies. Harping on things that took place almost a century ago and those in which both the perpetrators and victims are most certainly deceased by now is pointless and unproductive.

Japan has current-day issues that demand far more attention. Actually, so does S. Korea - I have heard their situation regarding foreign workers is also quite atrocious. Focus on what matters here and now, everything else is merely political posturing and distraction.

Ah, ye olde Trump Rule book.

It's so easy to dismiss something that has nothing to do with you but clearly has a big impact on other people.

And gee, I wonder if it's actually possible to do one or more things at the same time? What a concept!

So... the Korean governmetn canceled in the last minute and it is only the Japanese side fault??

Sorry but that is not how coordination of an event goes. If the Korean side had their issues they should have announced the cancelation of the event, or at least that Korea will not participate a week before the event, at least 5 days before and not the day before.

As any incident, sure there is fault in both sides but, Korea by canceling their participation in the last minute is the one with most fault.

So... the Korean governmetn canceled in the last minute and it is only the Japanese side fault??

Sorry but that is not how coordination of an event goes. If the Korean side had their issues they should have announced the cancelation of the event, or at least that Korea will not participate a week before the event, at least 5 days before and not the day before.

Yep. S.Korea did Dotacan simply because they didn't like the attitude of the counterpart and no media knows what kind of attitude problems of Japan existed. Funny Yes?

I don't even think it is worth any longer inviting anyone from S. Korea for this memorial. Japan should continue this event by itself to mourn for all the victimes which do include then-ethnic-Korean Japanese just like Yasukuni does in the same manner and ignore all the noise from S.Korea. JUST IGNORE.

A foreign ministry official sent a message of regret to the Japanese embassy in Seoul over Japan's attitude shown during the consultation process for the memorial, Seoul's foreign ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

OK. You didn't like my attitude, so you blew it up in the last minute.

The official called for close communication to ensure the issue did not result in "unnecessary conflict," the ministry said.

You say What? you don' want unnecessary conflict? without telling what attitude of mine you didn't like?

This part says everything. Things with SKorea has been always like and will be like this.

Enough is enough.