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JacktheCat
Joined: 08 May 2004
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 Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2004 6:10 pm Post subject: Korea's Hidden WWII History |
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Through both my university studies and my own interest I've studied quite a bit of Korean history. And what a tragic and fascinating history it is.
However, I've come to realise that Koreans have a curious gap in their knowledge of their own history. Few Koreans seem to know about this and there is no mention in any of Korea's museums.
That is, Korea's extensive involvement in WWII on behalf of the Japanese Empire.
Whether voluntary in involuntary, Korea and Koreans were a vital part of the Japanese war effort and hundreds of thousands of Koreans served in the Japanese forces and fought the Allied troops. Park Chung Hee and many of the founders of the ROK were officers in the Japanese Imperial army.
Perhaps the thing Koreans would like to forget the most is that the Japanese used almost exclusively Koreans as guards in their POW and concentration camps. After the war, several Koreans were tried for war crimes for their brutal treatment of Allied soldiers.
Last edited by JacktheCat on Fri Jun 18, 2004 6:14 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Butterfly
Joined: 02 Mar 2003
Location: Kuwait
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| Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2004 6:14 pm Post subject: Re: Korea's Hidden WWII History |
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| I'm sure Koreans know it, but your nation's traitors is not one of those things people like to discuss openly, and with foreigners is it? |
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Pyongshin Sangja
Joined: 20 Apr 2003
Location: I love baby!
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| Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2004 7:06 pm Post subject: |
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| Traitors? When the option is having your house burned down and your family kidnapped or murdered I bet you would sign up, too. |
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bignate
Joined: 30 Apr 2003
Location: Hell's Ditch
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| Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2004 7:22 pm Post subject: |
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| Pyongshin Sangja wrote: |
| Traitors? When the option is having your house burned down and your family kidnapped or murdered I bet you would sign up, too. |
Great Point PS
| Jack wrote: |
| However, I've come to realise that Koreans have a curious gap in their knowledge of their own history. |
A similar gap exists in probably every occupied or colonial nation.... Danes, Poles,Czechs, Austrians, French, Canadian, US, etc, etc......
What is your point? |
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Butterfly
Joined: 02 Mar 2003
Location: Kuwait
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| Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2004 8:16 pm Post subject: |
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| Pyongshin Sangja wrote: |
| Traitors? When the option is having your house burned down and your family kidnapped or murdered I bet you would sign up, too. |
Yes, I think I probably would. |
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Demophobe
Joined: 17 May 2004
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| Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2004 8:58 pm Post subject: |
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Interesting to note that many of the "Hari-Kari" (Sp?) pilots from Japan were actually Korean.
They were given their suicide mission and told that if they tried to land, they would be shot down and it's better to die with honor, than as a coward. |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2004 9:28 pm Post subject: |
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| bignate wrote: |
| Jack wrote: |
| However, I've come to realise that Koreans have a curious gap in their knowledge of their own history. |
A similar gap exists in probably every occupied or colonial nation.... Danes, Poles,Czechs, Austrians, French, Canadian, US, etc, etc... |
Don't forget the gaps in U.S. history too, of the Welsh (not Italian) origin of the word "America", of how the first European settlers were Welsh, and had intermarried with some local tribes in and near the Dakotas well before Columbus. Most of the Welsh founding fathers hid their heritage because of the prejudices of the English who're antagonistic toward anything except total assimilation of the people of Wales.
(And no, I'm not Welsh.)
That's just one example.
Gaps in history exist for reasons, often easily understood.
That said, Koreans don't seem take notice of the historical violent clashes with the Chinese which resulted in the victors writing the history of (HA) "brotherly China". Koreans don't realize that their anti-Japanese attitudes were fueled and fanned by the Chinese intellectuals for centuries.
I often see the average Korea as a clueless victim of forces much greater than themselves. Or maybe they just don't talk about it.
There's still so much I don't know about Koreans. |
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Alias
Joined: 24 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2004 10:48 pm Post subject: |
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| There is more hatred here towards Japan (and the US) than there is towards China. If it was not for China entering the Korean War the entire Korean Peninsula would be free today. I've always wondered why China gets a free ride. |
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On the other hand
Joined: 19 Apr 2003
Location: I walk along the avenue
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| Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2004 10:54 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
I often see the average Korea as a clueless victim of forces much greater than themselves. Or maybe they just don't talk about it.
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I went to see the movie THE PIANIST with a Korean friend. After the movie I remarked that it might be controversial in the west, because it portrayed Jewish collaboration with the Nazis. She replied: "Why? Everyone in Korea knows that there were Koreans who helped the Japanese". Whether or not her equation of the two situations was entirely accurate(the Nazis were trying to exterminate the Jews, so of course Jews might be more reluctant to discuss collaboration), the point is she didn't seem to think that there was any taboo in Korea against mentioning the quislings.
In my experience, Koreans ARE aware of this history, though some of them might prefer to underplay just how widespread the collaboration was. The Park Chung Hee stuff has been quite openly discussed in my conversational classes, but then of course this is Choella province(wonder what sort of treatment it gets in Gyeongsang). And I believe that the government came out with a list of quislings a few years back, and this was widely reported.
Last edited by On the other hand on Sat Jun 19, 2004 7:22 am; edited 2 times in total |
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waggo
Joined: 18 May 2003
Location: pusan baby!
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| Posted: Sat Jun 19, 2004 4:23 am Post subject: |
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[quote="VanIslander"]
| bignate wrote: |
| Jack wrote: |
| However, I've come to realise that Koreans have a curious gap in their knowledge of their own history. |
A similar gap exists in probably every occupied or colonial nation.... Danes, Poles,Czechs, Austrians, French, Canadian, US, etc, etc... |
Don't forget the gaps in U.S. history too, of the Welsh (not Italian) origin of the word "America", of how the first European settlers were Welsh, and had intermarried with some local tribes in and near the Dakotas well before Columbus. Most of the Welsh founding fathers hid their heritage because of the prejudices of the English who're antagonistic toward anything except total assimilation of the people of Wales.
(And no, I'm not Welsh.)
What do you mean dont forget!! How many people know that? I dont.
It seems to me youre guilty of believing any article you read ,which makes you a gullible idiot...back it up or shut up....where is the detailed account about the Welsh founding fathers? I'm interested!!! |
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FUBAR
Joined: 21 Oct 2003
Location: The Y.C.
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| Posted: Sat Jun 19, 2004 5:14 am Post subject: Re: Korea's Hidden WWII History |
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| Butterfly wrote: |
| I'm sure Koreans know it, but your nation's traitors is not one of those things people like to discuss openly, and with foreigners is it? |
Yeah, I dont think they were traitors. My Grandpa once told me (not sure if he was bullshitting or not) that had to fight for the Germans during WWII. He said he had two choices, fight for the Germans or die. Not much of a choice if you ask me.
And no, I don't think these people should be punished for war crimes. |
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dg611
Joined: 11 Jun 2004
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| Posted: Sat Jun 19, 2004 5:36 am Post subject: Korean Titanic |
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| I never heard the Korean Kamikaze story....pretty interesting....Here's another interesting WWII fact: In august, just after the war was over. The Japanese stuffed 4000 Koreans who had been living in Japan during the war onto a ship bound for Korea, loaded the ship with explosives and sank the ship just off the coast of Japan blaming it on an unexploded mine. The reports of the numbers of people killed ranges from 524 to almost all of the 4000 people on board. None of the Japanese crew were killed. It wasn't until 2001 that a Japanese court ordered the government to pay compensation to 15 of the victims who were still alive. |
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Juggertha
Joined: 27 May 2003
Location: Anyang, Korea
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| Posted: Sat Jun 19, 2004 5:58 am Post subject: |
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I find my adults (educated soem 20 year ago) are fairly versed in history and Koreas place in it.
However ALL of my younger students have a very warped perspective! I really worry what the sunshine policy is teaching these kids. |
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Imbroglio
Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Location: Behind the wheel of a large automobile
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| Posted: Sat Jun 19, 2004 6:03 am Post subject: |
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During "Operation Van Buren," a ROKMC platoon of about 13 people wiped out an elite North Vietnamese Army regiment. There were only 2 Koreans dead and more than 400 NVA soldiers dead. It was first a gun battle but it broke down into hand to hand combat. The ROKMC had an overall kill ratio of 25:1.
Whatever they are, Koreans know how to kill very well.
Korean Special Forces |
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Lyrt
Joined: 26 May 2004
Location: Somewhere in France
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