North Korea Demands Apology for Japanese Colonialism

[BobYoMeowMeow]

http://www.japanator.com/elephant/ul/16151-620x-kim_jong_il_01.jpg


The North Korean government is angry that Japan’s latest apology for colonialism seemed to have only been directed at South Korea. They want Japanese money:


North Korea — which does not have diplomatic relations with Japan — held a meeting Thursday at the People’s Palace of Culture in Pyongyang in an apparent bid to press for compensation from Japan.

Pumping their fists into the air, North Koreans chanted slogans such as “Compensate,” and “Withdraw,” according to footage aired by television news agency APTN.

Hong Song Ok, chairman of the North’s Committee handling the issue of former sex slaves and victims of forced labour, also accused Japan of trying to cover up its past crimes.

“The Japanese government coldly refuses and ignores the demands of our victims until now,” Hong said at the People’s Palace of Culture — where portraits of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and his late father Kim Il Sung hang together.

When Japan normalized relations with South Korea in the 1960’s, some millions of dollars in reparations was paid to Seoul. North Korea has yet to receive reparations payments from Japan, and Kim Jong-il would obviously like to receive some money on behalf of the victims of Japanese colonialism.

I’ve read that reparations were almost considered during the Koizumi years, but the emergence of the abduction issue and nuclear weapons program pretty much killed the idea. It would also seem pretty ridiculous to pay the DPRK compensation while it forces its own citizens into labor camps and sexual slavery.

—

In other apology news, the South Korean government is under fire because it reported Prime Minister Kan said Japan would “return/restore” [返還] artifacts when the actual Japanese term was something more like “hand over” or “give” [引渡/お渡し ].


Kan pledged his government will “transfer” historical artifacts seized during the colonial period between 1910 and 1945, but the Foreign Ministry quoted Kan as saying it will “return” them, and even highlighted the word in bold in a press release.

Japan’s position so far has been that all claims for restitution were settled under the Korea-Japan Normalization Treaty in 1965. The word “return” would imply that Tokyo now recognizes the illegality of taking the treasures and could open the way for a massive repatriation of looted artifacts. But Japan avoided the delicate issue with the word “transfer.”

Any readers who know more details about how the particular historical artifacts in question (royal texts from the Chosun Dynasty?) found their way to Japan?

North Korea Wants an Apology | Japan Probe (http://www.japanprobe.com/2010/08/13/north-korea-wants-an-apology/)

TL;DR?
South Korea received an official apology and the Korean artifacts obtained during the colonialism in World War 2. North Korea want some of that loot.

North Korea shouldn't be given an apology or money
knowing the government, they'll just spend the money on weapons

What about the Japanese people they abducted?
North Korean abductions of Japanese - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Korean_abductions_of_Japanese)

[Chiri]

I feel like you do not know the devastating impact the Japanese had on East and South East Asian countries during WWII.
If you did, you wouldn't be so flippant about the apology Japan owes to all countries she 'colonized'.

[Osayidan]

North Korean needs to stop existing.
You know it's bad when their world cup soccer players escape before the first match (http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=117272).

[Chiri]

It's easy to judge North Korea. I personally do not agree with its government or policies, but perhaps you should think about the reason North Korea exists before saying that it shouldn't.

[paladin]

It's easy to judge North Korea. I personally do not agree with its government or policies, but perhaps you should think about the reason North Korea exists before saying that it shouldn't.

why does it exisit?

[EndlessDreams]

It's easy to judge North Korea. I personally do not agree with its government or policies, but perhaps you should think about the reason North Korea exists before saying that it shouldn't.

It only exist because the Kim Sung family or whatever is still holding power, and China is still somewhat backing North Korea.

It can't exist too long like that though. Once the communist party in North Korea collapses, North Korea will have to change to become more like the rest of the world.

[Chillax]

why does it exisit?

Soviet Union interests vs. US interests split up Korea after the Japanese ceded Korea after WWII.

[paladin]

It only exist because the Kim Sung family or whatever is still holding power, and China is still somewhat backing North Korea.

It can't exist too long like that though. Once the communist party in North Korea collapses, North Korea will have to change to become more like the rest of the world.

Thats pretty true
We already saw the effects of not upgrading technology with russia and china
So once the the communist party gets fliped belly side up north korea will have a major change
Chillax-I see so they never really got back together huh

[Chiri]

Long story short:

After Japanese occupation in WWII, Korea was left weakened, economically and politically.
The United States and the USSR were engaged in a Cold War, primarily because each sought to promote themselves and undermine the other.
This means, the US feared the spread of Communism, and the USSR was against Democracy, so they tries to 'scare off' the other and gain the support of other countries.

Korea became an easy chessboard through which the US and the USSR waged their war.
They split the Korea in half, and each championed one side.
This way, they were able to threaten each other without actively engaging in a true war, in which their own civilians would be killed.

Rather than have each side try to come to peace with a treaty (like Germany was able to destroy the Berlin Wall), the US and the USSR encouraged North and South Korea to hate each other and continue their war.

[Osayidan]

Long story short:

After Japanese occupation in WWII, Korea was left weakened, economically and politically.
The United States and the USSR were engaged in a Cold War, primarily because each sought to promote themselves and undermine the other.
This means, the US feared the spread of Communism, and the USSR was against Democracy, so they tries to 'scare off' the other and gain the support of other countries.

Korea became an easy chessboard through which the US and the USSR waged their war.
They split the Korea in half, and each championed one side.
This way, they were able to threaten each other without actively engaging in a true war, in which their own civilians would be killed.

Rather than have each side try to come to peace with a treaty (like Germany was able to destroy the Berlin Wall), the US and the USSR encouraged North and South Korea to hate each other and continue their war.

That only further convinces me that it shouldn't exist. Not only is their government one of the worst in the world right now, but they were created out of hate.
That government needs to be torn down so the people living there have a chance at a good life.

However I also feel every government in this world neds to be destroyed because they're all doing a lot of things badly.

[Chiri]

I think the problem, Osay, is that your opinion is based on what you feel is right.
If there wasn't so much animosity between those supporting Communism and Democracy, what each thought was right to the exclusion of anything else, Korea wouldn't have been caught up in this mess.

And while you call for North Korea to not exist, there's probably someone on the other end of the world thinking South Korea shouldn't exist, for the same reasons.

It's not so easy to deal with country politics, though. I personally would like to see an end to the North/South Korean war, and for the country to unify, but there are still forces (US/China) which are interested in keeping the countries split.

[abc33kr]

While it is true that what the Japanese have done are evil, the North Koreans are the trolls of the world politic.

[EndlessDreams]

I think the problem, Osay, is that your opinion is based on what you feel is right.

If there wasn't so much animosity between those supporting Communism and Democracy, what each thought was right to the exclusion of anything else, Korea wouldn't have been caught up in this mess.

And while you call for North Korea to not exist, there's probably someone on the other end of the world thinking South Korea shouldn't exist, for the same reasons.

It's not so easy to deal with country politics, though. I personally would like to see an end to the North/South Korean war, and for the country to unify, but there are still forces (US/China) which are interested in keeping the countries split.

So the solution for Osay is to form opinion based on what Osay feels is wrong?

Not really. The reason why they are still split is because the family is still in power. I dare that family make reforms towards democracy in North Korea, and North Korea will undergo a change that the family can't stop. (Similar to most of the communist countries in the past)

Unification between the two Korean is unlikely now that it has been so much years, but North Korea can become more like a modern nation once the family loses it power (without another one replacing).

South Korea is part of the world economy while North Korea is the world troll, like abc33kr said, with its constant empty threats on the region.