In 1910, Korea was colonized by Japan. Both Korean and Japan inherited their culture from China; however the Korea was still colonized. Even though the Korean emperor refused to sign the treaty, it still went in effect. Actually, the Japan Empire had tried to control the Korea since 1873. They even assassinated Korean Queen for this. [1] After Japan took over Korea, they built a lot of factories in Korea. Those factories eventually became Korea's economic foundation years later after Koreans declared independence. [2]
The
Japanese Empire
never intended to treat Koreans favorably. William Shaw argued that the Koreans,
theoretically, were subjects of the Japanese emperor and should, therefore, have the same social status as the
Japanese.[3]
In 1912, a famous actress, Midori Komatsu, in an attempt to justify the
Japanese colonization, wrote “[the annexation] may rather be said to be the
reunion of two sections of the one and same nation after a long period of
separation.”[4] These
arguments imply that the Japanese and Koreans should be treated fairly and
equally. However, the Japanese Government had
neither
considered the Koreans as subjects of the Japan emperor nor to provide them with equal
rights. If you take a close look at the Japan-Korea treaty:
“Article 6. In
consequence of the aforesaid annexation the Government of Japan assume the
entire government and administration of Korea, and undertake to afford full
protection for the persons and property of Koreans obeying the laws there in
force to promote the welfare of all such Koreans.
“Article 7. The
Government of Japan will, so far as circumstances permits, employ in the public
service of Japan in Korea those Koreans who accept the new regime loyally and
in good faith and who are duly qualified for such service.”[5]
Notice how vaguely they wrote the treaty. Those words, such as “as circumstances permits” and “obeying laws there in
force” are open to interpretations. Japan’s vision of having fair policies to the
Koreans is merely an illusion. The
ever-worsening conditions
eventually caused the
Koreans’ massive demonstration on
March 1st, 1919, also known as
the March First Movement.[6] This
movement forced the Japanese Government lessen their policies on the Koreans
and to grant them moderate degrees of freedom. This transition, from the period
of “military rule” (Budan Seiji) to “cultural rule” (Bunka Seiji) led to a
subtler, yet more dangerous form of colonization – cultural assimilation.[7]
The
Japanese Government’s continuous efforts to assimilate, or Japanize the Koreans
effectively shifted generations of Koreans’ self-identities. The Japanese
achieved this primarily by forcing the Koreans to adopt Japanese names and banning
the use of Korean language in the country. By 1940, eighty percent of Koreans
adopted a Japanese styled surname and even given name out of fear.[8],[9] People who refused to change their names were
“beaten up many times by the Japanese.”[10]
In addition, children were not allowed to speak Koreans in the school. Image this: you live in a place that, if you express your own identity, you would be punished severely. How would you think of your own identity then? Would you still like it? Would you hate it? Would you be afraid of it? [11]
During WWII, Koreans were massively recruited
into the Japanese military and military-related factories, where the Koreans
suffered from treatments from lack of basic supplies to mental and physical
torments. The Japanese drafted Korean males into militaries, in which they were
treated relentlessly and were sent to the front lines. For example, Chansu Chong was a student
when was drafted into Japanese military. In an interview later, he said, “I
wanted to run away [when I was drafted], but my elder brother said, if that
happens the Japanese will give the rest of the family a hard time.” The
Japanese then sent him with other six thousand Koreans to a shipyard where they
“ate beans, beans, and more beans. No white rice, ever.” The Japanese also
severely beat people who tried to steal food.[12] Therefore,
it is clear that the Japanese coerced the Koreans to join the military by threatening
with their families. On
the other hand, the Korean females were taken to camps outside of Korea, in
which they became comfort women (sexual slaves) of the Japanese soldiers. Another example is that high
ranking Japanese soldiers bloodily raped a seventeen-year-old girl Tokchin Kim
on nightly basis. She was later sent to
one of the comfort women camps located in Shanghai, in which there were about fifty
girls of similar age. Each of the girl had to have sexual
intercourse with about thirty-five Japanese soldiers every day.[13]
Chong Chansu and Tokchin Kim only suffered a relatively mild degree of
mistreatment; thus, they were healthy enough to come back and tell their stories.
However, many Koreans who went through much harsher conditions lost their
voices, because dead people don't talk.
From 1910 to 1919, the political guidance in Korea was “military
rule,” during which the Korean people had no freedom of speech. After the March
First movement in 1919, the policy was not as strict. in compensation, the policies
shifted to constrict the use of Korean language and study of Korean history and
culture. After World War II broke out, the Koreans were drafted into the
Japanese militaries. The Koreans were separated based their gender to do
different inhumane work. The Japan Empire has not only destroyed lives of generations
of Koreans, but also permanently damaged the country – the Korean peninsula,
where there was only the Korean Empire, are now occupied by two distinctive
sovereign states.
[1] "Korea Under Japanese
Rule," in World Heritage Encyclopedia, accessed February 22,
2018, http://worldheritage.org/article/WHEBN0000341418/Korea%20under%20Japanese%20rule.
[2] Andrea Matles Savada and William
Shaw, South Korea, a Country Study, 4th ed. (Washington, DC:
Federal Research Division, Library of Congress, 1992), digital file. http://countrystudies.us/south-korea/7.htm
[3] Savada
and Shaw, South Korea.
[4] "The
Old People and the New Government," in Primary Source Document with
Questions (DBQs) (Asia for Educators, n.d.), excerpt from Transactions of the
Korea Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, vol. 6.
[5] Wikimedia,
"Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty," Wikisource, last modified December
3, 2016, accessed February 23, 2018,
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Japan-Korea_Annexation_Treaty.
[6] "Declaration
of Independence (March 1, 1919)," in Primary Source Document with
Questions (Asia for Educators, n.d.), excerpt from Sources of
Korean Tradition, accessed February 23, 2018,
http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/ps/korea/march_first_declaration.pdf.
[7] "Korea,
Japanese Government-General of," in Encyclopedia of Asian History (Charles
Scribner's Sons, 1988), accessed February 23, 2018, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/BT2358200945/WHIC?u=wall96493&xid=187b39f6.
[8] "Korea
Under Japanese Rule".
[9]
"Korea, Japanese Government-General of".
[10] Hildi Kang, Under the Black
Umbrella: Voices from Colonial Korea, 1910-1945 (Ithaca: Cornell
University Press, 2001), 117-118, digital file. http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/ps/korea/colonial_experiences.pdf
[11] Asiapundits,
"My Korean Grandmothers Memories of the Japanese Occupation and the Korean
War," Asiapundits, last modified February 27, 2013, accessed February 26,
2018,
https://www.asiapundits.com/my-korean-grandmothers-memories-of-the-japanese-occupation-and-the-korean-war/.
[13] Keith Howard, True Stories
of the Korean Comfort Women: Testimonies (London: Cassell,
1995), 42, digital file.
http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/ps/korea/comfort_women.pdf
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