Ah, dating.
Personally, when I take the wife out for dates, it’s usually to nice places to eat or romantic spots around the country.
Other couples, though, apparently travel to foreign countries to engage in acts of violence against third country embassies:
“I hated Japan for not expressing regret for its past wrongdoings. This is why I threw firebombs at the Japanese Embassy (in Seoul) on the birthday of my grandmother, who was forced into sex slavery for the Japanese military during World War II.”
This is what a Chinese man said Monday after being arrested for throwing firebombs at the Japanese Embassy in anger a day earlier over Japan`s refusal to take responsibility for its sexual enslavement of Asian women in World War II. In an interview with The Dong-A Ilbo, he said, “The firebombs were a birthday present for my grandmother. This is the highlight of my life.”
[...]
He said his Japanese girlfriend helped him set fire to the shrine on Dec. 26 last year. Meeting her when he went to Japan for volunteer work as a therapist after the Fukushima nuclear meltdown, he helped his girlfriend to cope with depression.
Who needs antidepressants when you can just chuck a couple of Molotov cocktails at the embassy of a country you don’t like?
Oh, and apparently, I need to post a warning on the Seodaemun Prison section when I update my Seoul guidebook:
After setting the Yasukuni Shrine on fire, the man fled to Korea and visited his grandmother`s hometown of Daegu, where she was forced to go to China. On Tuesday last week, he also toured a jail in central Seoul where his grandfather allegedly died while carrying out pro-independence activities. “He seems to have had no concrete plans to commit his crime when he arrived Korea, but was determined after he visited the jail,” police said.
Sheesh…
Speaking of the Japanese embassy and comfort women, I was wandering around Gwanghwamun on Sunday when I came across the statue, which thoughtful locals had bundled up against the winter chill:
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
The first thing I thought when I saw the “comfort woman” all dressed up like that was that when the weather warms up, someone’s going to have to disrobe her. I hope well-intentioned male staffers at the Japanese Embassy will think twice before volunteering for that…
“Japanese girlfriend help Chinese guy . . .”
You might want to alter that to “helped” (or “helps”?) — unless you’re giving advice.
Jeffery Hodges
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I don’t approve of fire bombing the embassy, considering its occupants, but regarding the Yasukuni Shrine – good for that guy – honestly. I’m an American, despite my sign in name here, and both times I visited the Yasukuni Shrine, I thought of burning that damn thing down too. Can you imagine Germans worshipping at a nationalist shrine containing Nazi leaders of the third reich? It’s disgusting – and it’s a big tourist destination, presented as just another Japanese cultural site. It’s also made of wood, and it would be no great loss if another ‘namdaemoon incident’ were to occur there late at night.
Japan is going to need good S Korean ties a decade from now – if current power trajectories of China and the US continue – it’s well past time for them to reckon with the past.
Strange how Chinese & Koreans hate Japan so much for past history, but actually Taiwanese people are pretty cool about things.
The SAME things that happened to Korea, happened to TAIWAN first, and yet I never hear about Taiwanese throwing firebombs at Japanese Embassies or burning their shrines/flags, etc etc etc
Between 1895 and 1945, Taiwan was occupied by Japan.
The expansion into Taiwan was a part of Imperial Japan’s general policy of southward expansion during the late 19th century.
As Taiwan was Japan’s first overseas colony, Japanese intentions were to turn the island into a showpiece “model colony”. As a result, much effort change its culture, language etc etc
The massacres that occurred in Taiwan, when the “native-Taiwan-aboriginals” tried to rebel were horrific. The comfort women, executions, etc etc
Yet, Taiwan knows it is all history and they have progressed with their lives.
When will Korean progress?
Apodyopsis Gymnophoria – you’re leaving out some very important historical context when you compare Korea to Taiwain in that way. Taiwan’s relationship with China is the reason for their more favorable view of Japan – since the Japanese colonial experience provides the basis for an identity distinct from that of China. 97% of so-called ‘Taiwanese’ immigrated their from the mainland during the Ming, Qing and nationalist periods. It was under Japanese rule from China, from 1895 to 1945, during which their experience diverged and they became more economically advanced than the mainland. They then suffered first a massacre and then 40 years of oppressive rule at the hands of mainlanders. That put the Japanese colonial experience in a more positive light. It has nothing to do with ‘getting over it.’
Countries don’t like apologizing if they can get away with it and Japan is no exception. The US constructed a system in post-war W Europe characterized by multi-lateral security ties and interdependent economies, which required the German apologies to victims of WW2. The US dominated ‘hub and spokes’ system of unilateral ties in E Asia reduced the importance of Japan’s political relations with its E Asian neighbors. Japan only had to concern itself with its American relationship. That will likely change, though, as US economic and military influence is increasingly challenged by the Chinese. If China becomes a future threat, Japan may find it in its interest to take a leadership role, deepening security and economic relationships with its neighbors. That can’t happen if Japan refuses to address historical grievances.
Taiwan is called the land of “Chinese Hello Kitty” someone once told me.
However, both Chinas (PRC and ROC i.e. Taiwan) agree when it comes to Senkaku Islands that they belong to China.
I don’t know about wanting to burn the Yasukuni Shrine down. I have friends of friends who go there dressed up in traditional clothes for the New Year’s 參拜. I have never been there, but I hear the museum inside has a pretty one-sided view. Yet, I don’t myself want to be the one to tell my friends why I think it’s wrong and how I think it’s one-sided or blind. If they don’t know, or have not realized by now then at this point, I don’t feel it’s worth my time to argue with words, or, definitely not by trying to burn anything down.
Also, I do not want to impose force-denying on myself or upon them that even as a nation who started it all, that they had their own suffering and dead and I recognize that they want to remember.
dokdoforever,
I have an even better answer for Apodyopsis. The bulk of Taiwan’s political, business and intelligentsia elite came to the island in 1949, after their defeat by the communists, but also after the Japanese colonial period.
“The bulk of Taiwan’s political, business and intelligentsia elite came to the island in 1949, after their defeat by the communists, but also after the Japanese colonial period.”
Not a better answer, with all due respect WK936, because those people came to Taiwan from places in China like Nanking, etc, that were badly done by by the Japanese, and the ROC’s collapse in 1949 stemmed in part from the predations of the Japanese that weakened the government. Those who self-identify as “Taiwanese” and are old enough to remember Japanese rule tend to think the mainland Chinese who came over in 1949 were more corrupt and arbitrarily brutal than the Japanese.
“… mainland Chinese who came over in 1949 were… arbitrarily [more] brutal than the Japanese.”
That’s also true.
and
Exactly. Koreans are lucky Japan colonized Korea, because if Japan hadn’t China would have (or Russia) which would have been much worse.
“Koreans are lucky Japan colonized Korea, because if Japan hadn’t China would have (or Russia) which would have been much worse.”
–spoken like a (soon to be former) Japanese cabinet minister in 1983, 1986, 1989, 1992 ……
“Exactly. Koreans are lucky Japan colonized Korea, because if Japan hadn’t China would have (or Russia) which would have been much worse.”
What an idiot. The kingdom of Chosun was already a protectorate client of China.
Then the japs came and raped everything that had two legs and two arms. Then claimed Korea as theirs, which they then decided to brainwash the people and started modernizing
“Exactly. Koreans are lucky Japan colonized Korea, because if Japan hadn’t China would have (or Russia) which would have been much worse.”
How would it have been worse? The Chinese and Russians had ample resources and population whereas Japan did not. Thus, they have to squeeze their colonies more.
I have no intention to speak for my wife, but I do feel she might argue—hailing, as she does, from a nation that experienced both Chinese and Soviet imperialism—that, yes, Korea could have done worse.
Enomuseki’s correct – Korea was a protectorate of China during the Ming and Qing dynasties. China could have conquered Korea and incorporated it as part of the country, but was content to take tribute each year and receive acknowledgement that the Korean King was subordinate to the Chinese Emperor. Japan, on the other hand, tried to incorporate Korea into Japan and forcibly transform its citizens into Japanese. Why is this? Well the Chinese notion of Mandate of Heaven was one reason. It legitimated the tribute relationship between Korea and China. Japan’s Emperor justified his rule through an origin myth which was interwined with Japanese nationalism – hence the need to transform Koreans into Japanese. So, I’d say that based on 400 years of history – Korea would definitely prefer Chinese domination to Japanese domination. As for the Russian/Soviets – the political center of the country is West of the Urals – it would be much harder for them to project power, in the form of military and population, all the way to the Korean peninsula to subdue and occupy it.
Robert – Also keep in mind that there are only 2.7 million Mongolians today vs. 75 million Koreans.
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