Why Koreans are so outraged because of NBC?

  Recently there was a huge sensation regarding the ignorant comment from American network NBC analyst, Joshua Cooper Ramo. Mr. Ramo described Japan as “a country which occupied Korea from 1910 to 1945, but EVERY Korean will tell you that Japan is a cultural, technological and economic example that has been so important to their own transformation.” When Pyeongchang Olympic’s opening ceremony.  

 His comment triggered the outrage not only in Korea but also in other countries. On the other side, it shows how much west countries do not know about Korean history, therefore, I would like to introduce sad part of Korean history when Japanese imperialism.  

 Korea has about 5000 years history and they lost own sovereignty of Korea for the first and the last time in 1910 until Japan was defeated when the Second World War in 1945. During Japan’s colony period, Japanese government forced for Koreans not to use their own language but to use Japanese one. As such, Koreans had to change their own name into Japanese way, otherwise, either people were not allowed to go to school or to lose job or to be sent to prison.  

 Besides, it is one of well-known acts of brutality that was committed by Japanese military that they hauled young Korean women to work in military brothels during World War II. 

 No one would give a doubt that Health and Medical Service Technology in Japan could had developed rapidly after going through Korean colony period. Maruta, a program of experimentation on human beings at the Imperial Japanese Army's Unit 731 was performed to Koreans, Chinese, Russians and Mongolians and the number of victims is nearly 3000. Numerous medical experiments and dissection on a living body were executed such as putting virus and bacteria to alive people even to pregnant women.    

 As above, there was a tragic history between Korea and Japan, therefore, it is obvious not many Koreans were happy about NBC’s comment. It would be compared like Jewish could grow up a lot thanks to German. Moreover, it was not the best time since there is a diplomatic conflict between South Korean and the Japanese government regarding “comfort women” as above hauled young women during WWII.    

 I hope my article helps your understanding of deeply hurtful and grief history when Japanese imperialism to Korea. In addition, I am wishing the conflict between South Korean and Japanese government will be resolved soon for mature attitude facing the past faults for the prosperous future.