Paying for Cruelty
By Miranda M.
In South Korea there has always been some amount of animosity with Japan and there treatment of Koreans during war times specifically during WW2. Not only was there a mass mistreatment of Korean women as prostitutes or mistresses {aka Comfort Women} to Japanese army men, there was an abuse of the Korean workers within Japanese factories. These Korean men were forced to work hard, hard labor during war times. Obviously there was a act of cruelty and racism that occurred during these war times. Understandably there is a desire for not only recognition of those cruelties, but also a form of correction which is money in this situation.
Korea was a colony of Japan’s for a nearly 40 years prior to WW2. As such there is a mental strife and a permanent mark on the psyche on the Korean mindset, stemming from those involved. Beyond the scope of physical reparations, this brings about an idea that is very similar to in the US, should those who are related to people in the past who committed crimes or cruelties be held responsible or at fault for those who were affected by them. Part of me believes that people who were subjected to cruelty and wrongdoings at the expense of another should be able to completely, or as close as they can, resolve the issue in a way that will ultimately bring closure to the victim. In the situation with Japan and Korea, there is a clear moral obligation on part of the companies involved to quickly clear their name and absolve their guilt.
Not only does this forced decision look worse on the factories and factory owners to have this dark past brought up and re-enforced by law suit and paid-outs ,there should be no pride in having refused the initial lawsuits. Yet, we must ask why the lawsuits were and are continually being rejected by both the Japanese government as well as the companies themselves. Is this caused by just monetary loss on behalf of the company or is it something less tangible? Could pride be in the way of recognizing one’s wrong doing? I think so, to be quite honest. In regards to Japan, “ Despite postwar agreements that — in Japan’s view at least — settled claims for damages sought by the country’s former colonial conquests, debate over compensation and reparations has not subsided” (Sang-Hung). This belief that there is no further reparations needed, reeks of the mindset of someone who does not recognize their part or their fault.
Cited:
Sang-hun, Choe, and Rick Gladstone. “How a World War II-Era Reparations Case Is Roiling Asia.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 30 Oct. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/10/30/world/asia/south-korea-japan-compensation-world-war-two.html.
