Amid lingering Seoul-Tokyo tension over trade, security and history, Koreans gathered in front of the former Japanese Embassy in Seoul’s Jongno District Wednesday to show their support for the Korean victims of sex slavery by the Japanese imperial army during World War II. The weekly street demonstration, urging the Japanese government to issue a fresh apology to the surviving victims and ways to compensate them, has notched its 1,403rd occasion. A bronze statue of a “comfort woman,” which symbolizes the victims, is surrounded by the day’s protesters in a downpour. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul [Korea Times]
It is important to realize that these anti-Japan protests they keep holding have all been small in size. It makes me wonder how robust the anti-Japan sentiment is in South Korea right now?
setnaffa
5 years ago
GI, it’s very strong among the sincerely pro-nork folks.
Roses1
5 years ago
Excuse me Sir, but isn’t the current boycotts of Japanese products and protests are due to Japan’s economic sanctions on South Korea? Japan claims that South Korea is a terrorist country, shipping Japanese chemicals to other dangerous countries. How come this blog hasn’t covered any of this trade row and only focuses on Korea as a crazy country of irrational Japan haters.
Flyingsword
5 years ago
Because the current commie government of South Korea is a bunch of irrational Japanese haters.
setnaffa
5 years ago
@Roses1, you seem to have a gift for hyperbole, so I’ll assume you’re either 1. young, naive, and misinformed, or 2. an agitprop troll paid by enemies of South Korea. If you’re neither, please correct me without any additional hyperbole.
To my knowledge, no one here is defending Japan, a nation where stabbing people in the back is okay if done politely. However, reporting truthfully on the current South Korean government’s intransigence regarding previous Japanese apologies and reparations paid back in 1965 should not evoke anger at anyone except Comrade Moon, who is single-handedly unraveling the South Korean economic miracle.
This isn’t about “left vs. right” but simple manners and integrity. It’s really hypocritical to call the Japanese all kinds of bad names, revoke trade agreements, threaten to confiscate private property, and try to weasel more money (54 years after a contract is signed!) and then imply the fault is only on one side. Both sides are behaving badly. However, only one is playing footsie with the communists who want to eat them for lunch.
Get the log out of your own eye before going after the dust speck in your neighbor’s eye…
I figure the results of the upcoming election will seal the RoK’s fate if they don’t make a sudden course correction.
Roses1
5 years ago
Setnaffa, what bad names are called about Japanese? All I see here are angry people calling people whom they don’t agree with, bad names. 🙄 Anyway just kidding, no need to get so angry. What trade agreements did South Korea revoke? What are you referring to?
What are you referring to when you say threats to confiscate private property. Are you talking about South Korean court order to Mitsubishi company to pay the four Korean forced laborers $90,000 each for forced unpaid labor. The Mitsubishi refused to abide by the court order and refused to pay because the Japanese government told them not to pay. That’s why the court has ordered the seizing of their property. In other words, it’s a court order, not a confiscation.
Of course, I’m writing this not to convince you on this since you guys are alredy made up your minds. This is for others who read this blog who may not be as knowledgeable as to what is going on.
setnaffa
5 years ago
@Roses, there was an agreement between Japan and Korea in 1965. That may have been before you were born; but there are places on the internet for you to so searches. There’s this little outfit called “Google”, for instance. Please do your own homework.
By ignoring that, you’ve proven yourself as a #2, in more ways than one. Japan paid the South Korean government and THEY were responsible for paying RoK citizens. Moon is lying to you.
Our conversations are over, but if you’re really a South Korean, may you repent before you receive everything you deserve.
Roses1
5 years ago
Setnaffa, the 1965 Treaty wasn’t a trade agreement. It was a normalization program between the two countries. How am I the ignorant one? I think you should be the one to do some Googling.
setnaffa
5 years ago
Trying to renegotiate contracts they signed (and took money for) in the 1960s is what started this. Then Moon’s minions stopped treating the Japanese as favored trading partners and said impolite things about the Chrysanthemum crowd. You act all surprised the Japanese played the same game.
As I said, the sons of Nippon understand back-stabbing, as long as it’s done politely. Moon’s Administration behaved worse than Americans with no Asian experience. “Barbarians,” the Shogan called us. And “round-eyed devils.”
Mooncup caused all the economic heartache between RoK and Japan, Inc.. Take it up with him. None of the folks who hang out here have much sympathy for–or power to change–either side. It’s not our rodeo. Not our clowns.
Insincerity and narcissism.
It is important to realize that these anti-Japan protests they keep holding have all been small in size. It makes me wonder how robust the anti-Japan sentiment is in South Korea right now?
GI, it’s very strong among the sincerely pro-nork folks.
Excuse me Sir, but isn’t the current boycotts of Japanese products and protests are due to Japan’s economic sanctions on South Korea? Japan claims that South Korea is a terrorist country, shipping Japanese chemicals to other dangerous countries. How come this blog hasn’t covered any of this trade row and only focuses on Korea as a crazy country of irrational Japan haters.
Because the current commie government of South Korea is a bunch of irrational Japanese haters.
@Roses1, you seem to have a gift for hyperbole, so I’ll assume you’re either 1. young, naive, and misinformed, or 2. an agitprop troll paid by enemies of South Korea. If you’re neither, please correct me without any additional hyperbole.
To my knowledge, no one here is defending Japan, a nation where stabbing people in the back is okay if done politely. However, reporting truthfully on the current South Korean government’s intransigence regarding previous Japanese apologies and reparations paid back in 1965 should not evoke anger at anyone except Comrade Moon, who is single-handedly unraveling the South Korean economic miracle.
This isn’t about “left vs. right” but simple manners and integrity. It’s really hypocritical to call the Japanese all kinds of bad names, revoke trade agreements, threaten to confiscate private property, and try to weasel more money (54 years after a contract is signed!) and then imply the fault is only on one side. Both sides are behaving badly. However, only one is playing footsie with the communists who want to eat them for lunch.
Get the log out of your own eye before going after the dust speck in your neighbor’s eye…
I figure the results of the upcoming election will seal the RoK’s fate if they don’t make a sudden course correction.
Setnaffa, what bad names are called about Japanese? All I see here are angry people calling people whom they don’t agree with, bad names. 🙄 Anyway just kidding, no need to get so angry. What trade agreements did South Korea revoke? What are you referring to?
What are you referring to when you say threats to confiscate private property. Are you talking about South Korean court order to Mitsubishi company to pay the four Korean forced laborers $90,000 each for forced unpaid labor. The Mitsubishi refused to abide by the court order and refused to pay because the Japanese government told them not to pay. That’s why the court has ordered the seizing of their property. In other words, it’s a court order, not a confiscation.
Of course, I’m writing this not to convince you on this since you guys are alredy made up your minds. This is for others who read this blog who may not be as knowledgeable as to what is going on.
@Roses, there was an agreement between Japan and Korea in 1965. That may have been before you were born; but there are places on the internet for you to so searches. There’s this little outfit called “Google”, for instance. Please do your own homework.
By ignoring that, you’ve proven yourself as a #2, in more ways than one. Japan paid the South Korean government and THEY were responsible for paying RoK citizens. Moon is lying to you.
Our conversations are over, but if you’re really a South Korean, may you repent before you receive everything you deserve.
Setnaffa, the 1965 Treaty wasn’t a trade agreement. It was a normalization program between the two countries. How am I the ignorant one? I think you should be the one to do some Googling.
Trying to renegotiate contracts they signed (and took money for) in the 1960s is what started this. Then Moon’s minions stopped treating the Japanese as favored trading partners and said impolite things about the Chrysanthemum crowd. You act all surprised the Japanese played the same game.
As I said, the sons of Nippon understand back-stabbing, as long as it’s done politely. Moon’s Administration behaved worse than Americans with no Asian experience. “Barbarians,” the Shogan called us. And “round-eyed devils.”
Mooncup caused all the economic heartache between RoK and Japan, Inc.. Take it up with him. None of the folks who hang out here have much sympathy for–or power to change–either side. It’s not our rodeo. Not our clowns.
Play your hate card somewhere else.