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South Korea urges Japanese leaders not to forget history

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They really need rewrite their books so that it actually includes the horrible stuff the Japanese did. I think its stupid that they have not done this, only when they acknowledge what they have done, they can see that this will never happen again.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

The Koreans are smart. They aren't fooled by Japanese politicians at all. They know about the history books. It's amazing that every effort possible to rewrite history is being made over here.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Progress, far from consisting in change, depends on retentiveness. When change is absolute there remains no being to improve and no direction is set for possible improvement: and when experience is not retained, as among savages, infancy is perpetual. Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

South Koreans are stuck in the past.

1 ( +9 / -9 )

@Ameriフセイン: NO! The fact was Japan still 'stuck' in her past! Rememeber Mr Noda arguing those class A warcrininals were no criminals! He just keep mute!

0 ( +3 / -3 )

アメリ フセイン

South Koreans are stuck in the past.

What a weird statement coming from someone who lives in Japan and reads JT. HMMM ok!!!!

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Did Korea ask China to apologize for plundering Korea hundreds or thousands of years ago? Yes those were done by psychopathic, predatory Chinese Emperors and, therefore, have nothing to do with modern Chinese people, so why modern Japanese people have everything to do with what Tojo and company had done? Remember 99.9% of Japanese people thenselves, even during the time, were and still are victims of that psychopathic military regime.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

アメリ フセイン

I agree.

-6 ( +3 / -9 )

Instead of jabbing at Japan--kind of a fellow in the same boat--once in a while to make you fell good, look out real intently left and right for the real bad psychopathic military regimes.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Face the truth, say sorry and pay. Giving 5 looted books from 1200, just not going to do it. It was not about freeing the Asians but inslavig them. duuh. If a theif stole my grandmothers silver, raped her then claimed it did not happen...I would be hesitant at best to welcome his son returning 2 tea spoons and denying what happened... Except if was done by a third party, who was not controlled by a Nationalist Government...who controlled everythig, it's so regrettable.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

People are going to be stuck on the past and hate NO MATTER WHAT is done. This isn't a specific Japan-Korea thing, but can be seen from looking at some past conflicts between other groups of people. Some people just hate and hate and the cycle continues no matter what.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

yeah like korea was doing so well before annexation as a tributary puppet state of the qing dynasty. its only a matter of time before china claims north korea as it's own like they did to tibet, and are trying to do to Taiwan.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

The 35 year colonial rule by Japan was the reason why South Korea was able to prosper (miraculous economic growth)after World War ll according to C. J. E (Professor of Korean History at Harvard University). I believe him.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

tmtmsnb:

Did Korea ask China to apologize for plundering Korea hundreds or thousands of years ago?

Who on earth from hundreds of years ago is still alive NOW! In fact does anyone still living know someone else who lived 100's of years ago. Meanwhile, some former Korean sex slaves are STILL ALIVE, but if the Japanese rightwingers have their way, this story will be dead and buried in the annals of a certain war which may or may not have happened.

Amery Hussein:

South Koreans are stuck in the past.

Yeah, I see that all the time when I go past Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Oh for goodness sake not this again. Talk about beating a dead horse. Can Korea get over it and move on.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

I hope someday these nationalistic issues will just go away, I'm for peace worldwide.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Face the truth, say sorry and pay. Two out of three...

2 ( +3 / -1 )

imagine how much better it would have been for the koreans had they stayed part of japan proper after the war. no north south split.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

"The 35 year colonial rule by Japan was the reason why South Korea was able to prosper (miraculous economic growth)after World War ll according to C. J. E (Professor of Korean History at Harvard University). I believe him."

---More so with Taiwan (50 years), plus, helping Taiwanese, once for all, get rid of the eroding, decaying, corrupting Sina element (under Chinese KMT now, it's coming back. Sigh.) s

1 ( +2 / -1 )

With regards to Taiwan, it was also the Japanese who thought them how to grow the world famous Taiwan bananas.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Don't forget history? Too late!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Japans relations with Korea are backwards, we need to cool our relations with the south faction and warm them with the north. Time to normalize relations with the north, work on breaking their shell. All the sanction in the past has done is starve the innocent among them. The harder we squeeze the harder they push back. About the south, well they hate us lets give them some in return.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

What the world needs is an acute case of amnesia. Then maybe we could all get along living in the present.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Don't understand how the aggressor in a conflict could act like they should hate the people they attacked. It doesn't make sense. Japan says Oh they hate us..Blah blah.. Really is that it.. Pathetic..

1 ( +2 / -1 )

No chance. Japan will never fully come to grips with its past again. Its post-war success, and rising to becoming such an economic powerhouse, made it become arrogant and too inwardly-focused. So, it can never take a step back and allow itself to be humble, even though it needs to if it ever wants to be truly respected on the world stage.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

I'm just waiting for people to get on with it. We must remember the past blah blah blah....the younger generation have forgotten it. The oldest generation will be dead, and only expats/nationalists will give two _____'s about it. There's money to be made and goodwill exists beyond the hatred, so no point satisfying eight hundred Japanese/Korean nationalists.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

sunhawk:

how much better it would have been for the koreans had they stayed part of japan proper

actually, that's exactly how many of them felt (while pretending to hate Japan), so millions of them migrated (mostly illegally) to Japan in the latter latter half of the 1940s/1950s, and acquired the privileged "Special Permanent Residents" status. One of the most successful among them would be this owner of Maruhan Pachinko empire http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%9F%93%E6%98%8C%E7%A5%90 He is typical in that he smuggled into japan immediately after their independence in 1945, eventually decided to become a Japanese citizen, and now are educating the japanese at large about how they should apologise/compensate with regard to their sins against the Korean people, who had taught the japanese everything such as Kanji/Sushi/Kendo/Zen etc. etc., all invented by ancient Koreans. Just one more famous example http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hisayuki_Machii most prominent "black van" boss in the post-war Japan, who contributed a lot to the cause of Great East Asian solidarity/co-prosperity. The japanese should be really grateful to the benevolent guidance of the korean people, and keep paying money, thus making compensation for their unforgivable sins.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I seem to be the only person who remembers the Cairo Accords of 1943 when Japan was forced to give back all lands they took by violence or greed.. In 1945 Korea was only one Korea, but a cicvil war divided Korea to be a North and South Korea.. I feel the USA military should return to the States and allow China to shake up the Japanese memories. \Remember the Cairo Accords also mentions Taiwan (Formosa) Russia, China, The Ryukyu Islands andKorea.

This is something the Japanese would like to forget.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Marion Wm Steele, my korean pal told me that in 1945 there there were already two koreas divided by some violent, greedy empires.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"Forgetting History" has been priority #1 for Japan since the moment the bombs dropped.

Sorry, Yuri. I love Japan, but Japan is in clearly the wrong on this one.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Japanese can apologize one million times but these ungrateful will never be satisfied,why?? because it is easier always repeat the same pattern,Japan is guilty, we are victims,Japan is guilty, we are victims.Japanese should ignore a country as immature.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

@tmtmsnb "Did Korea ask China to apologize for plundering Korea hundreds or thousands of years ago? Yes those were done by psychopathic, predatory Chinese Emperors and, therefore, have nothing to do with modern Chinese people, so why modern Japanese people have everything to do with what Tojo and company had done? Remember 99.9% of Japanese people thenselves, even during the time, were and still are victims of that psychopathic military regime."

That is an interesting question indeed : the difference lies in the atrocity of colonial rule by a group of Japanese outpost in Korea ( with or without consent by the Japanese Govt & Emporer ) by then. The majority of Japanese population were probably not aware of the facts. By contrast, the 'softer' approach used in ruling Taiwan during the similar period did not stir up the same hatred. Meantime, the repeated S. Korean 'offensives' ( comfort women, remember the history etc ) were / are meant to be targeting at the J Govt rather than the general Japanese people ?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Sorry Korea, Japan has no idea what you are talking about.. can't find that reference anywhere in the textbooks

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Korea are stuck in the past because Japan its obviously better off than them, jealousy and wanting to have a reason to dislike Japan. In that case many other nations should also be blame for it's past in this present world... Korea, get over it!

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

Korea is stuck in the past because Japan is obviously better off than them, jealousy and wanting to have a reason to dislike Japan is all what is about. A nation to be blame for its past is ridiculous at this point, in that case many other countries should be name by its past.. Korea get over it!

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

South Korea wants Japan to "not forget history", huh?

Hmm. Recently South Korea tried forcing Japan to discuss compensation for the sex slaves conscripted in WWII, but Japan says the issue was resolved in the 1965 agreement both sides signed to normalize relations. Here's part of what Wiki has on that agreement:

In January 2005, the South Korean government disclosed 1,200 pages of diplomatic documents that recorded the proceeding of the treaty. The documents, kept secret for 40 years, recorded that South Korea agreed to demand no compensations, either at the government or individual level, after receiving $800 million in grants and soft loans from Japan as compensation for its 1910–45 colonial rule in the treaty.[5]

The documents also recorded that the Korean government demanded a total of 364 million dollars in compensation for the 1.03 million Koreans conscripted into the workforce and the military during the colonial period,[6] at a rate of 200 dollars per survivor, 1,650 dollars per death and 2,000 dollars per injured person.[7] However, the South Korean government used most of the grants for economic development,[8] failing to provide adequate compensation to victims by paying only 300,000 won per death in compensating victims of forced labor between 1975 and 1977.[9] Instead, the government spent most of the money establishing social infrastructures, founding POSCO, building Gyeongbu Expressway and the Soyang Dam with the technology transfer from Japanese companies.[10]

The documents also reveals that the South Korean government claimed that it would handle individual compensation to its citizens who suffered during Japan's colonial rule while rejecting Japan's proposal to directly compensate individual victims and receiving the whole amount of grants on the behalf of victims.[11][12]

Sounds like Japan is correct on this issue, and that South Korea took the money that had already been paid by Japan for the victims and spent it on other things. Now they want to get paid AGAIN! South Korea is the one forgetting it's history, not Japan.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

I feel like throw up,when I read a news like this.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Koreans live an eternal paradox say to hate the Japanese but always trying to associate its image with the Japanese. the world cup 2002 initially was to be only in Japan,but suddenly it was divided between the two countries.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

The leaders of both countries know they’re deeply interrelated on many levels and must depend on each other. Relations are not as bad as they appear from the outside. Regarding Japan’s past treatment of Koreans, the nationalism directed against Japan is an essential part of Korean national identity, Lee has come out very strongly against Japan because he must respond to the young, liberal voters in South Korea that is very critical of Korea’s cooperation with Japan during the colonial period.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

jesus korea, let it go

2 ( +5 / -3 )

What Fadamor said. Koreans will continue to ask for compensation even though it has already received grants from Japan in the past. They will continue to whine and moan and play victim here.

Despite all their Samsungs, Hyundais and LGs, Korea is still a backward, underdeveloped culture where the norm is not rational thought but collective emotional or hysterical response. You can just see this in the way Koreans protest in public. That is why they can't let go of the past and instead thrive on it. Japan should know that they are dealing with a country whose people suffer from a inferiority complex toward them. Koreans know that they never have and never will surpass Japan and her accomplishments, and this knowledge just makes them even more insecure and bitter. This is why Korea will never be taken seriously and will always be the footstool of East Asia.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

genjuroOct. 20, 2011 - 05:41AM JST. Korea is still a backward, underdeveloped culture where the norm is not rational thought but collective emotional or hysterical response. You can just see this in the way Koreans protest in public. That is why they can't let go of the past and instead thrive on it.

The Japanese people and nation have never fully accepted responsibility for the unspeakable atrocities that they perpetrated against helpless innocent civilians during the last war. Note the comments in recent years from numerous Japanese leaders including Noda, questioning the substance of accounts of war time atrocities related by war survivors, or even whether the cruelty and brutality ever occurred at all. That is all very disturbing to Japan's neighbours. Would Israel ever forgive Germany if German leaders openly questioned whether the events of the Holocaust ever occurred? Never! The Japanese have always sought to whitewash or excuse their acts by describing their brutality as "liberating" Asians from their colonial masters.

Over the last 66 years, the Japanese have created a fantasy version of World War II in which they were victims, their many atrocities never happened and the atomic bombs were war crimes, not key factors in halting the Japanese created horrors. After all, the Korean women raped and men murdered were not Japanese. So what did it matter? This racist attitude influenced everything the Japanese soldier did.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

asking korea to let it go? if the jews can still get angry and upset everytime someone denies the holocaust, how do you think the chinese and koreans feel when the japanese have been denying their atrocities for 70yrs?

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

FadamorOct. 20, 2011 - 03:23AM JST. Sounds like Japan is correct on this issue, and that South Korea took the money that had already been paid by Japan for the victims and spent it on other things. Now they want to get paid AGAIN! South Korea is the one forgetting it's history, not Japan.

In 1965, Japan asked Korea to show the concrete number of conscripted workers and soldiers, dead and injured and how much unpaid wages were. They asked to "show the evidences and they would pay". Korea agreed and investigated them. What I want to clarify here is that KOREA DIDN'T CLAIM the compensation for the war time prostitutes. Why didn't they? It's because there was no abducted prostitute. Nobody said at the time in Korea, those prostitutes were abducted. Everyone knew there were many women who were so poor that they sold themselves to live and the Japan army didn't have to abduct Chosun women. There were many Chosun volunteers for Japan army at the time. Therefore Koreans didn't claim it at that time.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

What I don't understand is why the Japanese government doesn't actually haul out the paperwork when they paid Korea many moons ago for the comfort women. Then they can haul out the dates they have apologized to Korea about these women. If the Korean women want more money, they need to speak to their government. Interestingly, has no one noticed that the Korean government stays out of the comfort women thing? They know they have settled the matter.

Now textbooks and whatnot, I 100% agree that Japan needs to own up to what they did. i get tired of listening to 'Why do the Koreans and Chinese hate us?" by the young generation. A few chats about it and they are blown away by things because no one here bothers to tell them. All they know is that the big, bag US dropped bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaski and that Okinawa was a bloody place. They need to know what their country did. Not telling them is creating a society who thinks Japan needs to be pitied and not own up. It is wrong.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

[rararaOct. 19, 2011 - 11:02PM JST sunhawk: "how much better it would have been for the koreans had they stayed part of japan proper"

actually, that's exactly how many of them felt (while pretending to hate Japan), so millions of them migrated (mostly illegally) to Japan in the latter latter half of the 1940s/1950s, and acquired the privileged "Special Permanent Residents" status. One of the most successful among them would be this owner of Maruhan Pachinko empire Mr.韓 http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%9F%93%E6%98%8C%E7%A5%90 He is typical in that he smuggled into japan immediately after their independence in 1945, eventually decided to become a Japanese citizen, and now are educating the japanese at large about how they should keep apologising/compensating with regard to their sins against the Korean people, who had taught the japanese everything such as Kanji/Sushi/Kendo/Zen etc. etc., all invented by ancient Koreans. Just one more famous example http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hisayuki_Machii most prominent "black van" boss in the post-war Japan, who contributed a lot to the cause of Great East Asian solidarity/co-prosperity. The japanese should be really grateful to the benevolent guidance of the korean people, and keep paying trillions of yen every now and then, thus making compensation for their unforgivable sins.]

surprised to find no one has yet given the "bad" to this post of mine.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

I think the average Japanese knows from many years back that the Imperial Army and the government at the time did some terrible things.

BUT unless they are at least in their late teens 65 years ago, AND they also served in the Imperial Army etc, AND they actually did some of those terrible things themselves, they are no more repsonsible than you or I for what our "home country" has done in the past.

So I'm guessing we are talking about a handful of some really old men and perhaps an even smaller number of women. You Japan-haters should find out who they are and start harassing them. I'm sure that will make the world a better place.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

issa1

Japanese can apologize one million times but these ungrateful will never be satisfied,why?? because it is easier always repeat the same pattern,Japan is guilty, we are victims,Japan is guilty, we are victims.

Hilarious, yes the Japanese have apologized it normally goes like this. "We are very sorry for our actions, now lets go worship the criminals that did this", or "we are very sorry, now lets go white wash our history and remove all the bad things we did", or "we are very sorry, even though our politicians and historians downplay and deny facts about what we did", or my favourite "we are very sorry, but it wasnt us it was our for fathers and they didnt represent Japan but where acting on their own."

Yes Japan has apologised but its actions make these apologies worthless, meaningless and hollow.

Oh and as for Korea playing the victim (yes they where the victim) how often do we hear from the poor Japanese victims. Oh the A Bomb, oh our stolen land, oh our poor dead civilians, oh this oh that. Every month without fail J media and JT run a oh poor Japan piece highlighting how poor Japan (you know, the country that started it) suffered at the hands of the evil allies.

Seriously......"

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

You can't forget something you never knew in the first place.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Actually Japan was doing the same thing like the British empire: Colonialisms. The British shall never apologising for her history but Japan has to....because Japan defeated in WW2, japan was an asian nation but modeling western imperialisms in far east asia! Thats why the angle-American axis collaborated to topple the empire of japan! Being stupid was japan's faults!

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

just-a-guy

Thats why the angle-American axis collaborated to topple the empire of japan! Being stupid was japan's faults!

Just-a-guy, firstly its anglo not angle. Secondly the Anglo/US allies (Japan was axis along with Germany, Italy and others) collaborated to put an end to Japanese aggression and expansionist policies. Maybe you should stop reading the Japanese version of historical events and get a more balanced view. But yes being stupid was Japans fault lets just hope they remember their lessons.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Japan will not forget history, someday in the future it will repeat it!

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Thats why the angle-American axis collaborated to topple the empire of japan! Being stupid was japan's faults!

A few historical notes regarding Japan as they apply to your comment:

After WWI (in which Japan was on the side of the Allies), Japan increased its expansionist policies.

In 1931, Japan occupied Manchuria. As a result of the international condemnation over this occupation, Japan resigned from the League of Nations in 1933. In 1936, they signed the Anti-Comintern (Anti-Communist) Pact with Nazi Germany. In 1937, Japan invaded other parts of China besides Manchuria and this marked the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937 - 1945). In 1940, they signed on to the Tripartite Pact wich made them part of the "Axis Powers". In order to supply their ongoing war in China, Japan started looking to occupy Indo-China for it's oil and rubber resources so naturally Britain (who was already there) took exception to that. America started telling Japan to cool their jets and stop with all the land grabbing or face financial sanctions (i.e. embargoes).

All this happened BEFORE December 8, 1941 (Japan time) when Japan's response to America's threat of an embargo was a surprise military attack on Pearl Harbor. Japan had rejected its previous allies and had started aggression against lands held by its former allies. THAT'S why they were "toppled".

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The only "sin" that Japan had committed during WWII was that Japan lost the war. We owe no apologies to anyone. Imagine if Japan had won the war, none of these requests would ever happen!!

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

I have done nothing wrong, my family has done nothing wrong, no current member of the government has done anything wrong. The Koreans wants us to grovel before their feet begging forgiveness for the Japanese ancestors wrong doings. Time to move forward

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Look at the history, when British colonized China or india, it never offered any apologies!! Why the H should Japan apologize? Instead of bashing Japan for its "wrong doings" during WWII, why don't they take a look at their own white washed text books!!! If China never apologized for colonizing korea, and it will never do!! Japan at least apologized TOO MANY TIMES!!! It is time to stop apologizing for something Japan had done like every other western countries was doing at that time!!! Korea, grow up!!!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Yuri, I totally agree with you!! Japan needs to work away from this "apologetic mentality"!!!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

*walk away from this "apologetic mentality"!!!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The Korean people should remember who slashed the Korean late Queen into pieces,a woman who fought against those Japanese swordsman in her palace alone! Her defiance was one of the greatest heroic death in world history! The Japanese colonialism was the worst kind of colonialism in the world and she still owes apologies to all Koreans,only the emperor and emperess of Japan get up their good life and knees for those crimes will be forgiven!

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Japan is a nation of thieves, her return of those thefted books was nothing sincerelly but under pressure of the yanks to appease a dispute within the alliances! Was the clear enough to understand? Japan is still that Imperial Japan,nothing has changed besides omitting her title:'The Imperial'!

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

@ICBM70:The only "sin" that Japan had committed during WWII was that Japan lost the war........................Indeed and thats why Japan keep being blamed by Koreas, China, some SE asian countries and those debts is owing! cant run away!

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

just-a-guy, Japan can not apologize enough, pay enough to satisfy China, Korea and the rest of the cry babies. The future is calling to us. The war has been over for 66 years. Get over it and live your life and not your ancestors.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

FadamorOct. 21, 2011 - 12:59AM JST. After WWI (in which Japan was on the side of the Allies), Japan increased its expansionist policies.

This is not correct. The expansion started 13 years earlier. The expansion policies by Japan actually started in 1904-05 with the Japan-Russian war, in which Japan won. Japan purchased battleships from England to win over Russian Navy. In 1905, Japan invaded and started colonization of Korea that lasted until 1945.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It is interesting how easy it is to hammer a particular county constantly, many people have very short memories, the British Empire destroyed cultures for years but because of the two world wars that they were on the winning side, that is all forgotten now. It will be interesting to see how the U.S is looked upon in 100 years or so. Re sfjp330's comment, they were probably just following the example set by most of the superpowers of the time, England, Germany, France, Italy Russia etc.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

YuriOtani

just-a-guy, Japan can not apologize enough, pay enough to satisfy China, Korea and the rest of the cry babies. The future is calling to us. The war has been over for 66 years. Get over it and live your life and not your ancestors.

Thanks for the laugh Yuri, but very two faced of you. You tell Korea, China and the rest of the cry babies to get over it. Take your own advice, look through the JT website and see every month the eternal victims (you Japanese) bring up something about WW2. And while your at it look through your own posts because every time something comes up here is Yuri saying how badly your people where treated how disgraceful it is etc etc. Yet here you are telling others that suffered at your countrymens hands to move on when clearly the Japanese and you (from your posts) are unwilling to do the same.

So unless you are willing to do the same and move on, which history shows as a people and individually you arnt you have no right to demand it of your victims.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

South Korea is just as guilty of "re-writing" history as Japan. Japanese textbooks talk of how much Japan modernized Korea, which happens to be true. But they leave out the harsh colonial conditions imposed on the populace. South Koreans are always crying about the "comfort womenm" most of whom were Korean,. But they never mention the fact that over 240,000 Koreans served in the Imperial Japanese military and made use of those very same comfort women. Japan says the South Korean governmenht setttled everything in 1965, which is true as no one even Skorea denies that a treaty was concluded,. But South Korea never addresses why the comfort women issue wasn't included baqk then. In fact If I recall there was even an issue within South Korea that the government never passed on many money to the people. My point is that this isn't the simple "Japan is all evil" issue that some people seem think it is.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Yes I agree that Korea ought to get over the past but a lot of people here have been demanding that Korea get over the past which is too burdensome for Koreans to bear..According to some estimates, somewhere between 10,000~20,000 Koreans have been killed by Japanese army during its occupation of Korea.What I am saying is that Japan should HELP KOREA get over the past since it was Japan who invaded Korea not the other way round..

Korea has had 5,000 years of history and even though the Chinese and Mongols have made attempts to invade Korea neither of them made it successfully.So Japan's annexation of Korea from 1910~1945 really hurts Korean national pride.But I had a phone chat with my friend and I said to him Korea-Japan friendships are getting better and stronger all the time day by day..

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Both Korea & China need to stop whining and exasperating about what happened over 50 years ago now. It's the past generation so why should today's Japanese pay for what their forefathers might have done. Too much exaggeration and lies about what the Japanese did. It was war far greater things happened in Europe and Russia. The Chinese and Koreans are just jealous of Japan and it's capacity and they try to find any way to undermine Japan.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

The atrocities that the Japanese prewar regime unleashed on innocent people abroad in death camps include human vivisection, forced starvation,freezing to death-these cruelties were performed without anesthesia to test the limits of the human body. The subjects were referred to as 'maruta' or 'logs' ie classed as non-human.

Should Japan forget its past?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I don't like that the article referred to the Japan/Korea merger as "harsh." That seems a bit biased to me.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

When will Korea stop showing xenophobic anti-Japanese cartoons to their children? Korea has much more of a historical chip on their shoulder to complain about in the terms of how China has treated them in the past than with Japan. I'm not excusing what Japan did to Korea, far from it. But in East Asia, as in the rest of the world, it is getting harder and harder to hear the "victims" complain about the "aggressors" when unbiased historiography clearly shows that there are no innocents and the role of the aggressor can be assigned to nearly everyone at different points in history.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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