A photo down below attached to the tweet made by a self-proclaimed South Korean twitterer shows southern Koreans educating their off-springs to grow hatred toward Japan on August 15 (1945, 69 years ago), the date they believe a southern Korea became liberated from Japan with the military help from the United States of America and/or with their own efforts. In the photo, southern Korean kids shoot water at some Korean adults acting as "Japanese soldiers", trying to produce a new generation of hatred based on a fictitious story or almost close to an urban legend that Korea fiercely battled against Japan for liberation along with U.S. and its allies.
Koreans wave "Rising Sun flag" and shout "Long Live The Emperor of Japan!"
There are some important historical facts that South Korea should be acquainted with when and if it considers some diplomatic efforts to improve its deteriorated relation with Japan who has long helped Korea no matter whether it rains or the sun shines. Revisiting the past may help South Korea learn something new before it should come up with any idea of reaching an amicable rapprochement with Japan since South Korea has already crossed a line of no return by having destroyed the relationship that had been basically and inevitably on thin ice since its creation on August 15, 1948.
1. The Korean peninsula, brutally deprived of its freedom by China for centuries, had been viewed as a cause for great concern to Japan in a sense that weak and underdeveloped Korea might be easily colonized either by Russia or one of the Western powers vying for their supremacy in Asia in the late 19th century and in the early 20th century. Japan vehemently desired that Korea would become independent from China, so that it would help strengthen the East Asian defense against Russia and the Western powers, thereby securing Japan's independence.
Independence Gate, Seoul, South Korea-A Symbol for Independence of Korea from the rule of Qing built after The Treaty of Shimonoseki was signed between Japan and Qing (China) on April 17, 1885
Article 1 of the Treaty reads as follows:
China recognizes definitively the full and complete independence and autonomy of Korea, and, in consequence, the payment of tribute and the performance of ceremonies and formalities by Korea to China that are in derogation of such independence and autonomy, shall wholly cease for the future.
2. 1910 Japan-Korea annexation took place chiefly because a Korean terrorist named An Jung-geum assassinated Prince Ito Hirobumi who had consistently and strongly believed that Korea would modernize itself only with necessary assistance to be extended from Japan but not by means of annexation.
Prince Ito Hirobumi
The Japan Times dated October 27, 1909 reporting on the assassination of Prince Ito Hirobumi
Moments before Prince Ito Hirobumi was assassinated by
a Korean terrorist named An Jung-geum
Korean terrorist named An Jung-geum
3. 35 years long annexation was supported by a majority of the Korean population as Japan poured a huge amount of her resources into modernizing the Korean peninsula. Some photos below seem sufficient to prove Japan's great contribution to modernization of Korea who had nothing but women as an exporting item before 1910 Japan-Korea annexation took place. Life expectancy of Koreans before 1910 Japan-Korea annexation was only 24 years chiefly due to malnutrition and unhygienic conditions prevailing in Korea in those days. After Japan's modernization efforts in Korea, their life expectancy had risen to 45 years within 35 years.
The following three photos show Japan's great contribution to education sector in Korea, much emphasized by Prince Ito Hirobumi who was unfortunately assassinated by a Korean terrorist in 1909.
One of the top issues on Prince Ito Hirobumi's agenda for modernizing Korea was education, namely, introduction of formal education since no formal education system existed in Korea before the annexation, quite contrary to what South Korea currently teaches children at schools, emphasizing that Korea had already 5,000 schools in 1905.
In fact, Japan had established 4,271 elementary schools throughout Korea by 1943, and some high schools and one university now called "Seoul University".
Human resources development, whether you are in the West or in the East, is vital to the nation-building in any nation, as much propagated by the post war international organ called "United Nations" that officially came into existence on October 24, 1945.
Before arrival of Prince Ito Hirobumi in Korea on March 3, 1906, illiteracy rate was 90% while Hangul now widely used in both North Korea and South Korea was despised as the writing system for the low class people and women. The educated nobles used only "Chinese writing system".
Prince Ito Hirobumi, a four-time Prime Minister of Japan and former Resident-General of Korea, better known in Japan for his dedicated and superb involvement in the Meiji Restoration in 1868 and also in drafting the Constitution of Japan first in Asia, had executed a number of measures to promote education indispensably required for the rebuilding of Korea.
He secured a loan of JPY 5 million (equivalent to JPY 100 billion at the current value) from the Bank of Japan, 10% of which had been spent on execution of "Regular School Ordinance", "Teachers' Training School Ordinance, "Foreign Languages School Ordinance", "Girls High School Ordinance", and "Private School Ordinance" soon after he was assigned to Korea as the first Resident-General of Korea. This is the historical moment when the formal education in Korea began.
The following three photos show Japan's great contribution to education sector in Korea, much emphasized by Prince Ito Hirobumi who was unfortunately assassinated by a Korean terrorist in 1909.
One of the top issues on Prince Ito Hirobumi's agenda for modernizing Korea was education, namely, introduction of formal education since no formal education system existed in Korea before the annexation, quite contrary to what South Korea currently teaches children at schools, emphasizing that Korea had already 5,000 schools in 1905.
In fact, Japan had established 4,271 elementary schools throughout Korea by 1943, and some high schools and one university now called "Seoul University".
Human resources development, whether you are in the West or in the East, is vital to the nation-building in any nation, as much propagated by the post war international organ called "United Nations" that officially came into existence on October 24, 1945.
Before arrival of Prince Ito Hirobumi in Korea on March 3, 1906, illiteracy rate was 90% while Hangul now widely used in both North Korea and South Korea was despised as the writing system for the low class people and women. The educated nobles used only "Chinese writing system".
Prince Ito Hirobumi, a four-time Prime Minister of Japan and former Resident-General of Korea, better known in Japan for his dedicated and superb involvement in the Meiji Restoration in 1868 and also in drafting the Constitution of Japan first in Asia, had executed a number of measures to promote education indispensably required for the rebuilding of Korea.
He secured a loan of JPY 5 million (equivalent to JPY 100 billion at the current value) from the Bank of Japan, 10% of which had been spent on execution of "Regular School Ordinance", "Teachers' Training School Ordinance, "Foreign Languages School Ordinance", "Girls High School Ordinance", and "Private School Ordinance" soon after he was assigned to Korea as the first Resident-General of Korea. This is the historical moment when the formal education in Korea began.
Hangul Education Class through Formal Education System Prince Ito Hirobumi introduced into the underdeveloped Korea called "Hermit"
Science Class through Formal Education System Prince Ito Hirobumi introduced into the underdeveloped Korea called "Hermit"
National University (now called Seoul University) built in Korea
Note: For education except "Science", Hangul had been used at pubic schools in Korea, contrary to the Korea's persistent claim that Japan deprived Korea of Hangul. For "Science Education", Japanese language had been extensively used, due to the lack of science terminology in Hangul. Even in China, 84% of foreign words China currently uses has borrowed from Japan.
The world's largest class nitrogen fertilizer factory built in Korea
Steel factory built in Korea
Opening Ceremony of Railway System from Seoul to Pusan
(Railway system stretching from north to south and from west to east completed during Japan-Korea annexation)
Seoul Railway Station
Besides, Japan had constructed a great number of modern facilities, contributing to the modernization of Korea.
4. U.S. had desperately needed some excuses for its aggression into Asia、one of which was a story that Syngman Rhee had fabricated and had spread throughout U.S.A., spearheaded by President Roosevelt; Korea before 1910 was the most ideal in the East Asia while Japan's rule was barbaric. His story was nothing but "simply untrue to the historical fact".
5. U.S. military authority gave away northern half of the Korean peninsula to the Soviet Union as part of the takings after Japan's conditional surrender on August 15, 1945, ignoring the fact that Japan had earlier initiated the establishment of "Korean Nation Preparation Committee" and at the same time had granted Korea autonomy by lowering "Rising Sun flag" and hoisting "Korean flag". MacArthur then declared that southern Korea would be placed under the administration of U.S. forces.
6. Korea lost a great opportunity to gain independence on August 15, 1945 when U.S. forces nullified the autonomy granted to Korea by Japan.
7. South Korea was created as an area for U.S. to pursue anti-Japan policy of serving as a wedge between Japan and Korea on August 15, 1948 while Tokyo Trials incident was taking place, accusing some Japanese leaders of false charges under the U.S. War Guilt Information Program (WGIP), so devised and designed as to brainwash not only the Japanese population but also the entire world to think that Japan was evil while U.S. was justice. And, U.S.A. purposely executed Japanese leaders on December 23, 1948, birthday of then Crown Prince Akihito, now The Emperor of Japan, to remind Japan that she had been evil while U.S. justice. However, it is so ironic that well-educated people remember brutal U.S. aggression into Japan whenever Japan celebrates the birthday of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan Akihoto.
The December 23, 1948 killings was cruel.
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