S Korean soccer club apologizes for Japan disaster banner

NetNinjaSep. 30, 2011 - 04:10PM JST. Is there any reason why this Korean would want to celebrate the deaths of 20,000+ Japanese people? Any reason at all? I think I found one. From the invasion of China in 1937 to the end of World War II, the Japanese military regime murdered near 3,000,000 to over 10,000,000 people, most probably almost 6,000,000 Chinese, Indonesians, Koreans, Filipinos, and Indochinese, among others, including Western prisoners of war. This democide was due to a morally bankrupt political and military strategy, military expediency and custom, and national culture (such as the view that those enemy soldiers who surrender while still able to resist were criminals).

There is a problem of J-goverment continuing define the WWII as a victim as you can see every August in the ceremony of Hiroshima and Nagasaki but they never mention the Nanking or Manila massacure. Also, over 50 members of goverment members visited Yasukuni in August to pray for 14 Class A war criminals and veterans of WWII. Average Japanese people still suffer from the actions of denial by their J-goverment which they have no control. The 20,000 victims of the earthquake/tsumami is a human tragedy and many thousands and thousands of Koreans actually raised over $50 million for people that were affected. I am grateful for the sincere gesters of Korean people. It's not about revenge, but much human sufferings. It's very unfortunate of actions by Japan Military in WWII will continue to haunt average Japanese people for many generations because of continue denial by their current goverment and lack of sincere apology and reparation to move on like the Germans did.

Once again. I never stated that this is my personal opinion. It's purely speculation as the devil's advocate. Never be quick to condemn any man.

@smith

Just to be technical, the education trends regarding 'Hanja' study in Korea has shifted over time, and there's a push towards banning it entirely to 'purify' the Hangul language (it was banned some time ago in NK).

Depends what you mean by "banned". North Koreans spend more time than southerners learning "Hanja", typically learning about 3000, as opposed to 2000. They just never get to write them though.... ;)

NetNinja, how many victims of the earthquake/tsunami have anything to do with WWII ? Almost nobody. Would you be happy if someone brought a sign "Let's celebrate 9/11 !!! " at a sport event ?

This is a truly tasteless joke. I hope the South Koreans find who did this and kick his butt a few times! Many Japanese love Korea, their food, music etc..and then you get some PABOYA trying to be funny by coming up with this kind of sh!t.

Why would this make you guys "sick"? He held up a poster saying what he felt. You disagree with it but what if he has a reason to show such negative ill will towards Japan?

@NetNinja - And the same logic would say that it's okay to throw bananas on the pitch and make monkey noises at black players, or it's okay to mimic playing the Orange flute when Glasgow Rangers score against Celtic, or.....

Erm, perhaps everyone else recognizes it's in poor taste, offensive and goes way beyond sporting rivalry.

It's just a feeling of grudge againts the wrong people! It can't be understandable or forgivable.

Japanese war atrocities are a government problem, it's japanese government which must pay for their past, not the common citiziens with a natural disaster...how poor and innocent children and families dead in Tohoku are related with past military aggression???? Geez, it's insane.

NetNinja: "Is there any reason why this Korean would want to celebrate the deaths of 20,000+ Japanese people? Any reason at all?"

None that are justifiable if the people who feel victimized TRULY reflect on being wronged. That happens a lot in Japan, too, with denial of its atrocities while maintaining they have been victimized, but it doesn't make this situation any better -- particularly since they wanted the message of hate to be so publicized. But again, it's the act of a single or a few nuts, not the feelings of a nation. The one thing I hope people who have and/or express such feelings happens is that rather than blame the other for the wrong doings of the past, regardless of who's to blame, that they work together to change the present from the mutual feelings of being victims of horrible situations to that that benefits both. Sadly, I think we will never fully realize such a desire.

Quadrangulum I really like your post. Challenging. Yes, this guy, for whatever reason decided it was a good idea to post a message celebrating the deaths of 20,000. It's not kosher at all.

Then again, I believe that is very common place that people pop open the champagne when karma comes around. It's not fair that we look down on this one individual and not reflect that we ourselves at one point or another celebrated when the one that harmed us finally got what was coming to em.

We even makes makes songs about just that one thing. ** I pray your brakes go out runnin down a hill

I pray a flower pot falls from a window sill

And knocks you in the head like I'd like to

I pray your birthday comes and nobody calls

I pray you're flyin high when your engine stalls

This was a top hit on the Billboard charts. You see what I mean?? Connect the dots. Is there any reason why this Korean would want to celebrate the deaths of 20,000+ Japanese people? Any reason at all?

I think I found one.

From the invasion of China in 1937 to the end of World War II, the Japanese military regime murdered near 3,000,000 to over 10,000,000 people, most probably almost 6,000,000 Chinese, Indonesians, Koreans, Filipinos, and Indochinese, among others, including Western prisoners of war. This democide was due to a morally bankrupt political and military strategy, military expediency and custom, and national culture (such as the view that those enemy soldiers who surrender while still able to resist were criminals).

10,000,000 vs what? 20,000+ I'm not saying what he did was right but I understand. I'm willing to make the effort to understand. That's why he tried to get his message out there.

Dunno what anyone in South Korea has to complain about. Japan gave them their island back after all.

@smithinjapan

Well said.

papasmurfinjapan: "It's good that they apologised, but would they have taken the sign down if Cerezo did not complain?"

We'll never know, will we, because fortunately they complained (and rightfully so) and it was taken down. To assume it would have or wouldn't have without the complaint is pointless. My only question is if the people holding the banner were shown the door. I would hope at the very least they were reprimanded and told that any further actions like this would result in as much. Ultimately it would have been best if it WERE taken down before the complaint came, but alas, we'll never know. Maybe, and I'm not saying this is a good thing at all or justification, they were busy managing the event as a whole instead of focussing on the content of all the individual signs/banners, and then IMMEDIATELY took it down when noticing after the complaint. Unlikely, especially since as you point out it was not written in Hangul, but it's possible.

"Koreans learn Chinese characters in school, so it wouldn't take a braniac to understand what 日本 + 大地震 + 祝 meant."

Just to be technical, the education trends regarding 'Hanja' study in Korea has shifted over time, and there's a push towards banning it entirely to 'purify' the Hangul language (it was banned some time ago in NK). It's almost never used in day to day language aside from academic circles, names, or practicing calligraphy, and most young adults know very little of it. Still, as you say, it's hard to imagine most would not know what at least the first few characters referred to.

I'm more surprised that it took this long for Japan Today to cover this, it was covered all over from start of this week.

it was in (incomplete) Japanese and the officials (probably) couldn't read it.

Koreans learn Chinese characters in school, so it wouldn't take a braniac to understand what 日本 + 大地震 + 祝 meant. But yes, they eventually did the right thing, and have acted maturely in their response, so they deserve credit for that at least.

Heck... it could have been a Japanese citizen that put it up in order to get the Japanese team all worked up.

Nail on the head - it was in (incomplete) Japanese and the officials (probably) couldn't read it. They behaved well by acting to remove it. The correct actions happened, and they took responsibility afterwards. Thats commendable, right?

The fact it was removed during the game highlights this was an act of utter stupidity that got fixed by good people.

It was removed because the Japanese team complained. If they had removed it before the Japanese team had to complained about it, then indeed, kudos to them, but that is not the case.

I'm not suggesting all Koreans are anti-Japanese, nor that they approved of the banner, but I think a distinction should be made between the Korean officials taking the offensive banner down of their own accord, and doing so only after the Japanese complained about it. How much longer would the banner have stayed up had the Japanese not complained I wonder? Or how about if it was written in hangul?

Agree with SmithinJapan on this. The fact it was removed during the game highlights this was an act of utter stupidity that got fixed by good people. Sadly, the good people were left to the task of apologising, not really their fault, but kuos for stepping upu and taking responsibility.

NetNinja, I believe you are off the pace on this one. Anyone celebrating the countless deaths should make anyone feel sick. It is tasteless beyond belief. Reading the article I felt sick too.

The banner was removed about 20 minutes into the game in the southwestern city of Jeonju after Cerezo lodged a complaint with organizers.

It's good that they apologised, but would they have taken the sign down if Cerezo did not complain?

ExportExpert: "Disgusting, koreans have a certain attitude that is often unpalatable."

A FEW Koreans do indeed, yes, much like a FEW Japanese nationals (ex. the right-wingers who protest because SKorean bands and dramas have such high popularity here) have a certain attitude. Before anyone decides to lump all SKoreans into the same group as the moron(s) who were holding up this banner don't forget that SKorea has donated more aid over this disaster than almost any other nation on the planet. So obviously it's not a 'universal' sentiment.

THe difference is that in Korea retards like this guy are looked at with disdain and condemned. In Japan they are politicians, e.g IShihara, professors at universities and are supported by an ignorant public.

Koreans and Japanese nationalist fight too much

Yes they do. At least it's mostly verbal but I wish they'd both grow up.

Koreans and Japanese nationalist fight too much.

@ NetNinja

How is this about muzzling anyone who doesn't like Japan? Celebrating the deaths of 20000+ seems to go beyond dislike, putting it mildly. I don't think any person can even begin to make a case that justifies that stance. How is it anything but a disgusting, sickening thing to say? This is not something anyone needs to waste time striving to understand.

That the perpetrator is somehow playing us is utterly ridiculous. He's an embarrassment and discredits anything he purports to advocate.

Idiots are every where and Korea is no exception.

Disgusting, koreans have a certain attitude that is often unpalatable.

Why would this make you guys "sick"? He held up a poster saying what he felt. You disagree with it but what if he has a reason to show such negative ill will towards Japan?

The apology is simply a formality. Whoever that guy was he was successful. He got his message out and received the attention he wanted to get. Not everybody likes Japan, shoganai!! You can't muzzle every person who doesn't like your country.

Just so you know. Those people who click "bad" help the person get his message across just as effectively as those who click "good". Since people are more likely to click "bad" the message gets more publicity.

I think what he said was childish but some of you posting that soccer fans are morons or stupid is not entirely true. He found the time, the place, the perfect opportunity to get what he wanted to say off his chest. Now we are all talking about it.

Burakumin, how do you know they are the dregs of society? That's pretty low. I've seen the dregs of society in Kotobuki-cho, Yokohama. They can't afford a ticket to a soccer game or baseball game. You better check your definition in the dictionary.

SmithinJapn definitely had the best post. Spot on with his opinion. Didn't generalize at all. Quite tactful indeed.

In summary, those individual who are hating on this man are giving momentum to his message. He's playing you, you're not downing him. I'm curious as to why he posted such a message, not the message itself. That's where the healing can begin.

Unfortunately, soccer seems to attract a small minority of moron fans who are the dregs of society - this is another example, but it happens also in Japan, Europe - everywhere. Wouldn't see this type of thing in rugby where opposing fans actually sit together and share a beer.

A$$holes

So are they anti-Japanese or not? get your story straight Korea because ambiguity is a Japanese art and its obvious that you guys don't have the talent for it.

Sigh... very poor taste. At least the SK league was quick to apologize. It sounds like they directly stopped the person/people holding the banner, and I hope more action against them was or is taken (ie. banned from attending further matches). Clearly there are some bad apples amongst all fans.

Saw a photo of the poster; it made me sick. The perpetrators probably feel so, too, by this point; sometimes heightened emotions bring out the stupid in people.

Their exact phrase was "日本の大地震をお祝います" , yes, they missed a "し"

Alternatively, it could be written 日本の大地震を祝います. Either way, they're idiots.

"together in English" is missing from the end of the banner.

Just goes to show that every village has it's idiot.

@some14some Their exact phrase was "日本の大地震をお祝います" , yes, they missed a "し" .

“Let’s celebrate Japan’s big earthquake!” in Japanese was hung

It's difficult to comment without knowing how (exactly) it was worded in Japanese.