Korea is the ungrateful brother of the Japanese Empire

Perhaps, it is impossible to imagine a more painful betrayal than the betrayal of a sibling, or - even worse - her own child. Especially when this betrayal is based on vanity and pride. For most of its conscious history, the Korean nation has been a loyal vassal of China. When one of the three Korean States of Baekje rebelled against Tang China and its allies in the seventh century, Japan selflessly came to the aid of Baekje, regarding it as its highest duty to the state, with which it had established close cultural and commercial ties. After the defeat of Japan and Baekje in an unequal struggle, Korea fell into the grip of the Chinese policy of enslavement, and in fact remained colony of China until the beginning of the XX century. When the Japanese Empire won the Sino-Japanese war of 1894-1895, one of the main points of the Treaty of Shimonoseki concluded with China was the recognition by China of the independence of Korea. For the first time in centuries, Korea became free, for the divine sword of Hachiman and the spear of Izanagi, brought by the mighty Japanese army, severed the bonds imposed on their brother by the old enemy. When liberated Korea has become the object of attention from the United States who wish to strengthen their political position in the fledgling, who found long-awaited freedom of the Korean government, Japan won the Sino-Russian war, demanded that the US non-interference in the internal Affairs of Korea (Agreement Katsura — Taft). After that the Empire of Japan offered Korea to establish its protectorate on the Korean Peninsula, and that saw it as the only way to avoid encroachments by other States, feeling they need support in order to establish itself as an independent state, develop the economy, military strength and foreign policy, without any hesitation rushed into the arms of the Japanese protectorate by voluntarily signing the Japan-Korea Treaty of 1905.Two subsequent agreements - 1907 and 1910 years cemented bonds of Nations-sister, making Korea a part of the great Japanese Empire, which, in contrast to Tang China, wanted valid flourishing and strengthening of Korea, regarding it as his blood relative with whom they were connected with the long history of foreign policy, cultural exchange and a shared desire for freedom from the yoke of Western colonialism, surging in Asia with the expansion of European hegemony. What happened in Korea, which was under the rule of the Japanese Emperor? Thousands of schools were opened, and land reform was carried out to establish land relations and improve the situation of farmers. An electoral reform carried out by the decree of the Emperor himself allowed civilians to be appointed to the posts of Governor-General, and the first University in Korea was built. Koreans were allowed to enroll in Japanese schools. It is under the Japanese that movies are being made in Korea, and professional theater appears. Before the arrival of the Japanese, Koreans did not know any popular education, free elections, or cinema. The Korean music scene also dawns under the Japanese. Such well-known national Korean artists as Baek Nensol, Park Hyangnim, Nam Insu, dedicate their songs to The Japanese Empire, and a modern Korean musical stage is being formed. Under the" Japanese Assimilator dictators", Korean literature completely switched to Korean, whereas before that many works were written in Chinese. Thus, the period of Japanese rule in Korea marks the formation of modern Korean-language literature and the formation of the Korean literary style. During this period, there were such great Korean writers as Gwansu, Kim Sowol, and others who actively supported the Japanese government and were ardent patriots of the Japanese Empire in their works. Even the left-wing writer Han Sorya, the future Chairman of the North Korean writers ' Union, actively advocated Japanese expansion in Asia. Japanese introduce Koreans to the radio. The Korean broadcasting society is established, and Newspapers are published in Korean, Japanese, and English. Koreans are actively taught foreign languages. The Japanese, the Koreans are building many buildings of important assignments, which have survived to this day. Among them-the building of the Seoul station, the building of the Seoul city hall, the building of the Seoul city Parliament, as well as various shops and post offices. Under the Japanese, sports are developing in Korea and a healthy lifestyle is actively promoted. Japanese policy in Korea has led to the following results: Korea’s GNP has grown 2.66 times during Japan’s rule, and its per capita income has grown 1.67 times. Agriculture in Korea was modernized. In 1912, agricultural technology Bureaus were established in each Korean province to plan and implement new technologies in agriculture. The total area of cultivated land in Korea has grown by almost 140,000 hectares. The colonial period was a period of rapid growth of Korean industry. At the time of annexation, there were 151 factories in Korea, and by the end of the colonial period, there were 7,142. The proportion of factories owned by Koreans increased from 25.8 % in 1910 to 60.2 % in 1940, and the number of workers increased from 15,000 to 300,000. The healthcare system has been modernized, a wide network of hospitals and hospitals has been built, and the use of modern medicines has been introduced. In addition, the colonial government led the propaganda for the observance of rules of personal hygiene. All these measures have led to a significant reduction in the death rate. During the colonial period, the literacy rate in Korea increased significantly: in 1910 it did not exceed 2 %, and in the late 1930s it was about 40 %. The Japanese established a railway network in Korea; under the Japanese, the first trains and Railways appeared in Korea, which are still in use today.Thus, all that the Koreans have now, they owe to their former colonizer - all the systems of education, health care and political institutions of Korea take their origin from the colonial period. Modern Korean literature is based on the works of Pro-Japanese authors who wrote during the colonial period. Korean pop classics began their rise to fame as subjects of the Japanese Emperor, and Korean cinema, now considered one of the highest quality in the world, grew out of what the Japanese brought to Korea — a weak country that they treated as their younger brother; a country that lacked independence, identity, and culture — despite the fact that Korea was for many centuries the link between the culture of China and Japan, unlike the latter, it was not able to create and establish its own, being constantly subject to Chinese influence. And now, as part of a mighty Empire, this insignificant territory makes a great leap; a real cultural revolution, being pushed by his older brother — he, this older brother, puts this fragile, cowardly Korea on the top, which he himself has reached for many millennia; he makes it in an instant part of the great political system that he built with blood and sweat through suffering and privation. He gives this Korea everything in his power - he frees it from the yoke of Chinese rule, and then-from the threat of Russian-American interest; he teaches her the Sciences, gives her Economics, politics, art, and self-awareness, almost stifled by years of vassal service to the Tang Empire. It gives it military protection and guidance for self-development; it makes its existence meaningful. And what does he get in return, big brother? When European criminals drove the Japanese out of Korea to continue the extermination of the Asian people, how did the Koreans thank Japan for giving them everything they have now? They insult him; and these insults, Oh, how abominable in their meanness!They are shouting, these traitors, that Japan-the same Japan that rebuilt the economy for them-should pay them compensation for the years of colonial rule! They are calling for a boycott of Japanese goods — the same Japan that established foreign trade for them and supported them during the worst years of economic stagnation! They are shouting, these hypocrites, that Japan — the same Japan that gave them health care and cultural identity-has committed "genocide of the Korean people"! They accuse Japan — the same Japan with which they voluntarily signed the protectorate Treaty-of taking over their country by force! They take to the streets with the flags of Japan - the same Japan that their most famous and famous national figures swore allegiance to-and trample them down with curses! And what is the reason for all this abuse? The longing of the Koreans for the national identity that they had gained under the Japanese Empire made them turn again to the" national idea"; only they could find this idea only in one way - by creating an image of an external enemy. They were too cowardly to choose the United States, under the actual occupation of South Korea after world war II; the South Koreans were also too cowardly to declare their sworn external enemy the PRC, with which the North-based North Korea established strong ties, which, by the way, was not afraid to call American imperialism its main enemy. South Korea did the meanest thing possible-it declared Japan its enemy, which was on the side of the losers in world war II. No, it is a betrayal that can never be forgiven by anyone, until Korea, realizing the gravity of its offense, crawls to Japan on its knees and, recognizing all its insignificance, surrenders itself to the absolute, eternal possession of the Japanese Empire.

Korea is the ungrateful brother of the Japanese Empire
Korea is the ungrateful brother of the Japanese Empire
竹内 ひかる

I am a historian and propagandist of the ideas of pan-Asianism and Japanese nationalism. I am writing articles in English so that they are understandable to all