Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Gollywog]

Many Koreans believe the U.S. imposed a military dictatorship on Korea after WWII that lasted for decades, even after Korea began holding democratic elections. That even seems to be the official line in the school textbooks. At the same time, they seem to be teaching students that Koreans were responsible for defeating Japan during WWII, at least within Korea. Is this correct?

This got me wondering. How many Koreans were actually killed during WWII? How many actually died fighting against the Japanese? Or did Koreans primarily die fighting against the U.S. and the Allies, given that Korea was aligned with Japan during the war? Were there Koreans who said No to the Japanese war machine, and refused to fight or assist them?

And then I got to wondering. What if Korea had actually defeated Japan, and had been the U.S.'s shoes, occupying Japan? How would Koreans have treated the Japanese if they were running Japan after its destruction during WWII? What sort of government would Korea have helped to establish in Japan? How much money would Korea have spent to help rebuild Japan? What would Japan look like today if the Koreans had defeated Japan?

Heck, what would Germany look like if Korea were the victor? What would the world look like? Would there have been a Marshall Plan to feed the defeated, and rebuilt their countries?

Just wondering.

[it's full of stars]

What would you look like if you had a brain?

Next!

[samd]

13 questions in one post. Must be a troll record.

But I'll bite...

First paragraph: No, this is not correct.

Second paragraph: Read a history book about Korea under the Japanese.

Third paragraph: I don't know, nor does anybody else.

Fourth paragraph: See above.

[contrarian]

By the end of WWII the Korean, particularly North Korean, underground has control of much of Korea.

[Guri Guy]

[santafly]

how about: what would Korea look like if Japan had won WWII, at least held on to NE Asia.

[Typhoon]

Actually there is some truth to the first paragraph. The textbooks and teachers here do teach that Korea defeated Japan and the US caused more problems then they solved. I used to teach history to middle school students and when we did WWII there was always a huge argument about what happened at the end of the war. They pretty much have no clue as to what really happened. Maybe it gets corrected sometime in highschool, but middle school students have been taught as the OP stated from what I have seen.

[contrarian]

As to Korean control towards the end of the war I would reference Kim Il Sung. His guerrilla movement had been particularly effective in the North, He became a very nast tyrant thereafter and now we have "Dear Leader" messing things up.

The Americans under MacArthur made one serious mistake, particularly in Cheju-do of leaving the Japanese administration and civil service in place. The lead to a bloody insurrection in Cheju.

guri:

I don't really have the interest to do all the research necessary, but if you are interested Cuming's book, Korea's Place in the Sun is a good start.

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

[pkang0202]

Considering the population difference, difference in Technology, and other factors, there is no way Korea would've defeated the Japanese after WW2.

This is a pointless question. Its like asking, "What if the Polish or French defeated the Nazi's in WW2."

[mindmetoo]

[Guri Guy]

[jkelly80]

Japan had been itching for Korea since the 1870s while the Koreans still played yangban games and farmed dirt, letting Junguk-hyeongnim take care of things for them. Korea never really had a chance.

[Ilsanman]

Wow. Contrarian gets pwned in 2 threads at the same time.

[Ut videam]