Koreans begin to see their history as it is.

[Shinpachi]

SK President Moon Jae-in, Minister of Justice Cho Kuk and Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-Yeol have been the comrades of strong ties for decades. For unification of two Koreas, they dream the federation system like two countries one system because they persist their power in SK whereas NK thinks no other system but one country one system as ever. In addition, SK majority does not support communists Korea yet.

Thinking the case Moon should fail his attempt, he is prepared to exile to Thai to where his daughter and her family already fled from the suspicion of unjust disbursement of governmental funds amounting 20 million dollars. This is the reality for Moon at the moment who still lives in the value of 1950s.

 

[michaelmaltby]

meanwhile ... the trade 'dispute' between K and J drags on, like a low-grade infection that lasts and won't go away yet .... could turn deadly at any moment.
Almost no coverage of the struggle in the western media.
Meanwhile ... the Masters of The Belt and Road book are forcing small Pacific nations to revoke relations with Taiwan ... and it's working. $$$$$ buys accord.

 

[Shinpachi]

Moon and his comrades seem to be in a self-trapping day by day like Lee Dynasty was in the 1900s.
China seems to have decided not to rely on the US economy anymore.
There is always shadow of Germany like Chiang did.

 

[Shinpachi]

History goes on quickly there too.
HK would not be in their eyes anymore.

Source: 天天快报

 

[Shinpachi]

Scandal storms in SK.
Anti-Japanese is not in their eyes.

SK President Moon appointed one of his comrades Cho Kuk as Minister of Justice knowing Cho was doubtful about illegal funding and document forgery which related to his family. To clear his suspicion, Moon seemed to have ordered his another reliable comrade Yoon Seok-Yeol who was also appointed as Prosecutor General by Moon to make believe serious investigation of Cho and his family. Because Yoon looked so serious that unexpected unfavorable testimonies came up one after another from Cho's old colleagues who hated him. Situation has gone against Moon's intention as SK public stood up asking for justice. Point from now on will be if Yoon can prove Cho's innocence under this situation. Otherwise, he would be obliged to betray his old comrade Moon to be fired as Prosecutor General.

Cho Kuk

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Just want to remind everyone of the forum has rules regards to political discussion. That applies here too.

 

[Shinpachi]

I understand the history in comparison with modern life because humans are humans like Japanese are Japanese but my posts might be too much realistic. I will take care.
Thanks, Adler.

 

[Shinpachi]

Moon opens Japanese page in his official site last week to tell he does not hate Japanese.
Twitter looks better but this is a revolutionary attempt in the recent Korean diplomacy because Koreans can read Japanese through Chinese characters but few Japanese can do Korean unique letters Hangul. I wish recovery of Chinese characters in Korea though I know they hate Chinese well.

Source: THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA CHEONG WA DAE

 

[Shinpachi]

Ryu Seok-chun(류석춘), a sociology professor at Yonsei University in Seoul, is requested dismissal by Yonsei's students and graduates because he has lectured "Comfort women were prostitutes" in his class on the 19th. Education is a double‐edged sword.

Ryu Seok-chun

Source: 연세대 총학-동문들 "위안부 매춘 망언 류석춘 교수 파면하라"

 

[michael rauls]

Ryu Seok-chun(류석춘), a sociology professor at Yonsei University in Seoul, is requested dismissal by Yonsei's students and graduates because he has lectured "Comfort women were prostitutes" in his class on the 19th. Education is a double‐edged sword.

Ryu Seok-chun
View attachment 553829
Source: 연세대 총학-동문들 "위안부 매춘 망언 류석춘 교수 파면하라"

Just a thought on this, I certainly don't know if some or all or most were or weren't although I would guess that as with most things in history the truth is not always so cut and dried one way or the other but having said that regardless of whether he is correct people aught not be calling for his dismissal on the grounds of what he believes to be true.
We have a similar problem in the US where those with un popular opinions, sometimes right and sometimes wrong,(at least as far as I can tell) are imediatly set upon by legeons calling for there dismissal form whatever position they hold. Especially in academia.
I am a firm believer in the old adage that the antidote for wrong speech is to correct it with cogent argument not to try and shut it up. ( not saying this guy is right or wrong by the way). That I do not know.

 

[Shinpachi]

Thanks for your courageous comment, michael.
I don't think some Korean scholars like Ryu Seok-chun are wrong about the comfort women at least.
I have been hesitating to introduce some pictures like these because this is our history of disgrace.
Japanese comfort women for the allies in the postwar.

Management concept was exactly same as that during the wartime.
This was nothing special at the time as GIs witnessed.

Source: //twitter.com/kadoya1/status/778533537951588352

 

[michaelmaltby]

.... the brothels were established voluntarily by the Japanese government immediately after the occupation commenced and were, by all accounts, well run and popular ... in a time of extreme poverty and social stress some Japanese women volunteered to serve. The system came to a screeching halt when Washington began to feel the pressure from wives, girl friends, mothers and pastors ... you know, the usual crowd that we can thank prohibition for. and it was shut down.

The street economy took over the provision of sexual comfort ..... transforming Japanese society and values ... as well, as the values and aesthetics of its western customers.
In a mere decade Japan transformed perceptions of itself from a nation of fearsome, suicidal little men wielding swords, to an intricate world of great subtlety and feminine sexuality.

 

[nuuumannn]

Having visited Korea a couple of years ago, I find this thread fascinating and informative. Here are some topical images from my visit to the DMZ.

The Joint Security Area and those familiar blue huts as seen on the news of late.

DSC_7944

We're officially in the DPRK; that's the border that both Moon Jae In and President Trump were invited to cross by a smiling Kim Jong Un.

DSC_7950

My first North Korean.

DSC_7956

Looking across the DMZ into the DPRK, this is Kijong Dong; the artificial town that has no inhabitants, yet loud speakers broadcast messages to the people of the South extolling the virtues of the North.

DSC_7870

At Imjingak, people have left messages of hope for the soon return of their loved ones across the border.

DSC_7918

The armistice document that states that the North and South are still at war.

DSC_7968

More images from the DMZ here: DMZ Korea 2017

 

[XBe02Drvr]

Ryu Seok-chun(류석춘), a sociology professor at Yonsei University in Seoul, is requested dismissal by Yonsei's students and graduates because he has lectured "Comfort women were prostitutes" in his class on the 19th.

I certainly don't know if some or all or most were or weren't although I would guess that as with most things in history the truth is not always so cut and dried one way or the other

An educated and progressive thinking Nisei friend of the family once said about this controversy: "A prostitute is essentially a capitalist in a free market working for financial gain; a comfort woman is essentially a prisoner doing forced labor. There's a moral difference."

 

[michaelmaltby]

".... There's a moral difference."
Indeed there is, but there is also the presence or absence of money. Were comfort women paid? Were they paid by the 'army'? Were they paid on the basis of piece-work, or a monthly stipend?
These questions are relevant because upon occupation the Japanese government instituted comfort brothels for US servicemen
and, by all accounts the brothel system was efficient but nasty for the ladies .... 25-35 tricks per shift. When the brothel system was stamped out by Washington ... the market gave rise to a 'girl friend' experience .... with American stuff from the PX being currency of exchange.
The original army/gov't system in all likelihood followed the same principles as were used in Korea and elsewhere in Asia. And, no doubt, they weren't Houses of Joy for the ladies who worked in them. But such jobs were a source of income, nonetheless, they were jobs.
Keep in mind that there were Koreans - men women - working throughout Japan's Asian Empire - construction workers, camp guards - etc. (Now, many of these folks would like to sue Japan as 'slave laborers')
Some Koreans were convicted of war crimes by the Allies, and executed.
Korea doesn't need to cultivate a culture of victimhood but it seems THAT is what the Korean People are doing AKA the Korean People being told to do.

 

[michael rauls]

An educated and progressive thinking Nisei friend of the family once said about this controversy: "A prostitute is essentially a capitalist in a free market working for financial gain; a comfort woman is essentially a prisoner doing forced labor. There's a moral difference."

I absolutely agree there is a huge moral difference. Did you somehow get the impression from my post I was equating the two?

 

[XBe02Drvr]

".... There's a moral difference."
Indeed there is, but there is also the presence or absence of money. Were comfort women paid? Were they paid by the 'army'? Were they paid on the basis of piece-work, or a monthly stipend?

According to my Nisei friend (who certainly was in a position to know more about it than I ever will), these "comfort homes" were little more than thinly disguised slave labor camps, with the inmates fed rations and issued clothing and personal effects and denied individual property. I'm sure there were local differences due to different command procedures and attitudes.
Our Nisei friend was a retired Asian studies professor who had worked at several colleges out west, and my great aunt, who grew up in Tokyo, had sponsored his parents when they came to the US.
Cheers,
Wes

 

[XBe02Drvr]

I absolutely agree there is a huge moral difference. Did you somehow get the impression from my post I was equating the two?

No, I was trying to clarify the point to some of the more morally rigid who might read this thread.
I agree wholeheartedly with your point regarding the professor and the ostracising and penalizing of unpopular points of view. I live in the leftistist state in the right hand half of the country, where I'm philosophically comfortable, but I'm appalled at the unwillingness of so many of the "true believers" on my side of the aisle to even hear a conservative opinion expressed. It's like they're afraid that by being heard, it will become policy.
Cheers,
Wes

 

[XBe02Drvr]

Extremist = One who is so insecure about the attractiveness of his/her own ideology that they have no confidence in the "marketplace" of ideas, and feel that competing ideas must be suppressed. By that definition we liberals are busily verifying the far right's claim that all liberals are extremists.
The only true suppression is public apathy.
Cheers,
Wes

 

[Shinpachi]

As a basic knowledge, the facilities were managed by the Recreation and Amusement Association of Japan.
Wiki introduces it like this -


The Recreation and Amusement Association (特殊慰安施設協会 Tokushu Ian Shisetsu Kyōkai) (Special Comfort Facility Association) (RAA) was the largest of the organizations established by Japanese authorities to provide organized prostitution to prevent rapes and sexual violence by Allied occupation troops on the general population, and to create other leisure facilities for occupying Allied troops immediately following World War II. The RAA "recruited" 55,000 women and was short-lived.


Background

On August 21, 1945, Japanese authorities decided to set up a RAA for the benefit of Allied occupation troops. In fact at that time, the Home Ministry had already sent a directive to prefectural governors and police chiefs on August 18 ordering them to make preparations for "comfort facilities" in areas that the Allied occupation troops would be stationed. These facilities (which included dance halls, restaurants, and bars in addition to brothels) were to be staffed by women already involved in the "water trade" prostitution system for preventing sexual violence to Japanese women and girls. In Okinawa, Allied military troops are estimated to have raped 10,000 Japanese women during World War II. Japanese authorities set up brothels to reduce sexual assault by Allied occupation troops. They thought it would be possible to reduce sexual violence by Allied occupation troops even slightly.

Some 50,000 women, most of them prostitutes, worked for the RAA. The first brothel, named Komachien Garden and employing 150 women, was opened on September 20, 1945. RAA brothels were placed off limits in March 1946, after just seven months of operation, to stop the spread of sexually-transmitted diseases, and closed down shortly thereafter.


For more details,
Recreation and Amusement Association - Wikipedia