Korea: Will a Nation's Identity Be Lost Forever?

July, 11 1926

The cries of confusion and lost sovereignty ring out in Korea. Since 1895, foreign nations have intentionally abused our land's instability in government
and national identity. The men, women, and children of Korea want their nation, culture, and lives back.

Many manipulative actions marked the unjust methods in which other nations thwarted our ability to be stable throughout the Sino-Japanese war. Unfortunatly, our lands of Korea, a source of Iron and coal, have only meant industry to foreign countries thriving to advance.

A Japanese residency stands prominent over what used to be the farm lands of Korea. (Japanese Residency-Japanese responses)

But those lands were what we called our home, and our wishes were easily forgotten. Just as the Korean monarchy asked, the Chinese willingly sent troops to smother the Tonghak rebellion, but as soon as the Japanese intended to occupy, our needs were forgotten, and immediately the whole nation was struggling in the commotion of competition between China and Japan. As foreigners devastated the land, civilians and higher classes alike dreamed of independence and an end to our role of a worthless pawn in the larger empire's war games.

As a result of the Sino-Japanese war, Korea was falsely empowered once again when The Shimonoseki treaty was passed, promising that neither China nor Japan could meddle in Korea's affairs and our liberation from imposing outside nations was guaranteed. However, the treaty was in truth never intended to benefit Korea, but only sooth the fears of European nations anxious that Japan (the winner of the war) was gaining too much power.(1)

Once again, at the sight of Korea's weaknesses in trying to set up a functional government, European and Asian countries were overjoyed at the chance to jump in. Japan quickly seized the opportunity but this time Russia intercepted them, beginning the Russo-Japanese war (1904-1905). And as a result, Japan annexed Korea in 1908. Their only goal was to impose.

For years we have watched as the Japanese brutally kill our men and our culture as a result of their occupation. Will our workers be exploited and abused permanently.(2) Will Koreans die on their own soil because of responding negatively to stifling new policies forever?

"The students of Korea are out of control." Quotes an anonymous Japanese citizen.

But are the Korean people out of control? Do we have the right to rebel against a bloody and humiliating invasion? Yesterday, demonstrations mourned Korea's last monarch, and the nation's lack of independence.(3) Tungok Mei, a former aspiring student now forced to forget his Korean style education responds:

" Since our culture is so "behind on the times", why were we never given the opportunity to change? To advance? Outsiders just assumed that Korean men and women were useless to the world, and that we would never use our natural recourses and location. By taking our way of life, our cultural identity(4) from us, they never even let us try. But we can't let the Japanese win! We have to prove them wrong."

Japanese soldiers practice with their batons by killing citizens.(Japanese Brutality)

Our culture has been erased, our history burned, our language, names, schools are even illegal. And we don't have the right to rebel? Of course we don't, because they do not consider us humans.(5) We are their cattle, every part of us is merely some way of making money. But when our well deserved respect and liberation from other nations arrives, our sacrilegious culture will be rejuvenated by the struggling newer generation in many days to come.

Junn Tuk, Editorial Chief for the Korean Journals

Sources:

1. Geoff Simons, Korea: The Search for Sovereignty (New York: St. Martin's Press) 121

2. David I. Steinberg, The Republic Of Korea (Boulder and London: Westview Press, 1989) 45-47

3. Ibid., 45.

4. Steinberg, 45.

5. Stanley Ju, [stanleyju@hotmail.com], Stan's Korea Web Page, [http://home.cox.rr.com/stankorea/japanese_occupation.htm], 25, January, 2002

6. Alliance for Preserving the Truth of the Sino-Japanese War [info@sjwar.org], [http://www.sjwar.org/bground.htm], 25, January, 2002

7. Japanese War Crimes,[http://www.centurychina.com/wiihist/index.html], 30, January, 2002

Images:

1. Stanley Ju, [stanleyju@hotmail.com], Stan's Korea Web Page, [http://home.cox.rr.com/stankorea/japanese_occupation.htm], 25, January, 2002

2. Rummel, [rummel@hawaii.edu], Japanese Democide, Mass Murder, [http://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/RM3.J.BAYONET.FACE.HTM] 28, January, 2002