“a post explaining why comparing Germany and Japan is like apples and oranges”
Yeah, obviously they are like apples and oranges! Right before WWII, in Germany Hitler arose to power based on the sentiments and poverty a defeat in WWI created. Germany also had industrial neighbors such as France and Britain, while having a more heterogeneous population (jews). In contrast, Japan was a winner in WWI (made some great profit out of it), had non-industry-based neighbors, and had a obidient, homogenous population. Ooooh. Aaaah. So what? How the crap does that justify what Japan did?

“Bollocks. Please compare Japan??s imperial rule in Korea and Taiwan*, where they set up schools, built roads, a police force, and established civil society, to other instances of colonial rule”
YES! SCHOOLS to culturally eradicate Koreans, ROADS to faster invade manchuria/china (obviously using forced/cheap Korean labor), and a POLICE FORCE to keep Korean’s mouth shut or massacre peaceful independance marches. Wow, thank you SO MUCH! (in other words, STFU).

“None of the above perpetrators have apologized”
For one thing, I know the United States government has long put efforts to compensate blacks (slavery) and native americans. I also know for fact, that Germans very much apologized for their deeds.
The logic that Japanese dont need to apologize because Belgians dont doesnt work. Japanese, as well as Belgians, need to apologize because there are actually respectable countries that do regret their past mistake and make a brighter future. Japan is not one of them.

“and this was all far, far worse than anything Japan did in its colonies”
Yah, why dont you fudgin’ tell us about the Nanjing Massacre, comfort women, and biological experiments on prisoners (they called them logs, and opened body parts when they were still alive). Please, if you are going to do that Kindergarten attitude of pointing fingers and cry ‘but what about him? he did it too’, shut up and grow up.

“Would it be superfluous to add that Japan??s comparatively decent imperial rule indirectly led to the current functionality of modern South Korea and Taiwan? Especially compared to disfunctional Southeast Asia, Africa, South Asia, and Latin America.”
Hahaha, ‘decent imperial rule’ of Japan, how cute… -_-
Another logic of the level of a child. Obviously the different results between SK/Taiwan and other parts of the world come from complicated issues and relationships between culture, background, environment etc. To oversimplify this and say Japan’s colonies ended up better than Spain’s because Japan is nicer, is really not amusing.
For example, Spanish colonized indians, a large population illiterate, and kept them for circa 200 years. Korea not only suffered a much shorter period of time, but also had strong and resistant culture, long and prideful history, and easy to learn hangul that enabled resistance and independant movements to happen. Korea also had deep Manchuria mountains where Koreans could furthur continue their activities, while Aztecs for instance could not effectively flee from the Spanish.

Somebody put lots of effort and time to write a bunch of crap, but I dont see how any of it helps justify Japan’s actions.
In fact, dont justify it. Live with it. Regret it. Dont distort or hide it. And gain trust from local neighbors. Thats the way Japan must go in the long run.

Warmly,
Curzon

P.S. You lived in Tanzania?!

People should not confuse the way Japan fought the war with the way they treated their colonies. China may have a right to demand an apology, but not Korea. If the Japanese must apologize for the war, then Koreans must apologize too since they fought beside the Japanese.

People should remember that 148 Korean prison guards were convicted of war crimes and 23 of those were executed. In fact, the commander of the P.O.W. camps in the Philippines was Korean, and he was hanged as a Class A war criminal.

Have Koreans apologized for their part in World War II? Even if they have, I think it is time they apologized again since the US now has a new president in office.

WTF?

Give us some exmaples of this alleged glacial pace that were actually the fault of USFK.

If you haven’t yet read the SOFA and are getting all your SOFA knowledge from ohmynews or the Segye Ilbo, claims for compensation based on negligent acts of USFK personnel are investigated by, adjudicated by, approved by, and settled by the ROK Ministry of Justice through one of its 14 District Compensdation Committees located throughout Korea.

[It's in Article XXIII in case you're actually interested.]

USFK’s role [Article XXIII paragraph 5] is merely to provide reimbursement to the ROK goverment of a percentage of monies it has paid to claimants. Generally 75%, but it varies case by case.

But the point is, settlement with and payment to Korean claimants is not contingent on any USFK approval [even though there is a process for obtaining that approval], and in fact is frequently conducted without USFK knowledge, much less approval. Often even in the face of the evidence.

You wanna blame someone for slow compensation, call you local courthouse. I’m sure they’ll be happy to take down your complaint, but don’t call USFK cuz they aren’t driving the train.