Korean Job Discussion Forums

[lastat06513]

The reason why it was not brought up was simple but yet complex.

Back in the 60's and 70's- Korea was ruled by a military junta, lead by General Park (who, himself was a police officer/ teacher during the Japanese colonial period) and Japan was ran by some of the same people who were in power during the time of Japan's great imperial rise and during the Tojo years (Chinese invasion period leading up to WWII), who were ultra-conservative and ultra-nationalist.

Now, during this time, some of the same people in government at the time or in the military at that particular time, got their foot in the door during the colonial period (the same way George Washington was a colonel in the colonial militia during the Franco-Indian wars), so they still had a connection to the government in Japan (or some would suggest).

Now, couple this with the fact it was only 10 or so years after the destruction of the Korean War (1950-53), so where was Korea going to get the capital needed to rebuild?

Simple; The US and its block of allies in the pacific (Japan and Taiwan).
During the Korean War, as Korea was being ravaged, Japan and Taiwan (to a modest extent) were on course with the US-sponsored reconstruction plans for those nations (modelled after the Marshal Plan being implemented in Europe). They became the "economic tigers" of Asia as Korea started picking up the pieces.

Then, the sudden toppling of the democratically elected-turned-dictatorship under Rhee Syngman, sent the US scurrying back to prop up a government that would help it fight against the growing communist influence penetrating into South Korean society (or so the US government thought). They saw their chance in a promising young General named Park Chung Hee.

Now back on the issue of reconstruction, Korea badly needed the capital to rebuild and the US and its allies were willing contributors for that effort.
So when General Park reached out to Japan for help, he was only looking at the future, thinking what was done was done and the only way to look now is forward and the only way Korea can excel would be to put its horrible past behind the nation and move on.

True, there were elements in his government that wanted to deal with the issues of past atrocities, but being a dictator, his word was the end of discussion. And with the amount Japan was pledging for reconstruction, Korea at the time was in no position to argue against it.

Now, forty years forward, as the government becomes more left-leaning and trying to push a more self-reliant attitude, the government now is trying to push a process to right the wrongs done to it almost a century before, hoping that with this process, true national reconciliation can prevail.

[RACETRAITOR]

Park, also known as Masao Takaki, was also a volunteer in the Japanese air force.

[Doogie]

[Merlyn]

[jinju]

[JeJuJitsu]

[stevemcgarrett]

the bum:

About the Ronald McDonald drive-by shooting: hilarious. We should hold him hostage, though, and demand replacing Mickey D's with Burger Kings now. And I'm so desperate for Tex-Mex that even Taco Hell is starting to seem appealing.

mindmetoo, jinju:

You've both articulated some very good points. Enough of the euphemism too already although it might have a historical origin of understandable dimensions.

The Japs are just waiting for these women to die off? Perhaps it is a delay tactic to avoid compensation. But then they've managed to do that for decades, so why upset the hornet's nest now? No, I think this is a calculated move by the ultranationalists in Japan to posture and preen. And it has as much to do with some bullshi-t bushido code as greed.

[Hollywoodaction]

[hairy sue]

lastat06513, that's a pretty good summary

[Satori]

The vast majority of Korean prostitutes in Korea are not forced in any way to do what they do, quit with the moral outrage. It's hard for you to swallow that they do what they do out of choice in order to make more money than they could through more seemly employment, much easier to suggest they were forced and it's all the fault of the evil male. Sorry, doesn't wash.

[TheUrbanMyth]

[RACETRAITOR]

[Merlyn]

[jinju]

[luvnpeas]