The Dark Tourist: Seodaemun Prison
The Seodaemun Prison History Hall, formerly known as Keijo Prison, serves as a memorial honoring Koreans who suffered under the oppression of the Japanese government. Established in 1908, it had been since used to imprison leaders of the Korean independence movements during the Japanese colonial period, as well as pro-democratic activists under dictatorships such as Chun Doo-hwan. Several weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit the memorial, a representation of an entire century of the Korean citizens’ sacrifices and struggles that led to our freedom we exercise today.
At the apogee of anti-Japanese protests following the March 1st Movement in 1919, the prison housed up to 3,500 prisoners. Many have been starved, tortured, executed, or fell to disease, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of Korean prisoners.
As symbols of Japanese oppression of Korea during the colonial period, monuments such as the Seodaemun Prison has continuously reminded the Korean public of anti-Japanese sentiment. For decades, the Korean public has resented Japan; in return, Japan’s recent rise of nationalistic and right-winged political parties led to strong aversion to Korean influence. To this day, Japan and Korea both retain this hostile relationship with one another, mainly over historical and economic issues. Recently, the issue further aggravated when Japan implemented a trade ban on South Korea. In response to boycotts from South Korea of Japanese products, Japan subsequently removed Korea from its “white list” of trading partners, devastating the economy on both sides.
It is greatly disheartening to see how both countries continue to hate each other, no different from a century ago. It is rightful that historical memorials such as the Seodaemun Prison should set a reminder of the brutal consequences of war and oppression, but we must also reflect on these events differently. Instead of holding this lasting pain inside, we should settle our past conflicts between both governments and peoples, looking forward to the next century as an era of reparation and reconciliation.
