Generally speaking, we should perform the evaluation of the history after 100 years passed. However, I who am a Japanese get tired of the criticism for past Great Japan Empire from some Asian countries.
I often feel that those countries should much consider what they did in their countries before getting the compensations from the current Japan.
I think the manner of the Vietnamese government is excellent. Because they don’t ask any compensations to France, USA, and even Korean military which committed all kinds of the tyranny in Vietnam.
The followings are some examples what their government did in Korea.
Jeju Uprising
The Jeju Uprising was a revolt on Jeju island off the south coast of the Korean Peninsula, beginning on April 3, 1948. Between 14,000 and 60,000 individuals were killed in fighting or execution between various fractions on the island. The suppression of rebellion by the South Korean army has been called “brutal”, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths, the destruction of many villages on the island, and sparking rebellions on the Korean mainland. The rebellion, which included the mutiny of several hundred members of the South Korean 11th Constabulary Regiment, lasted until May 1949, although small isolated pockets of fighting continued into 1953. Many residents of Jeju escaped from the massacre to Japan, and some of them made their Jeju town in Osaka.Yeosu-Suncheon Rebellion
The Yeosu-Suncheon Rebellion, also known as the Yeo-Sun incident, was an October 1948 rebellion, that took place in Yeosu, Suncheon, and surrounding towns, South Jeolla against the fledgling South Korean Syngman Rhee government largely cued by that government’s suppression of the Jeju Uprising and refusal of Yeosu soldiers to help suppress the rebellion. In Yeosu, the rebelling South Korean soldiers seized weapons and took control of the town. The residents paraded through the town holding red flags. They restored the town people’s committee, and tried and executed a number of police, officials, and landlords. The rebelling soldiers increased between 2,000 and 3,000, and massacred rights families and Christian youth. After one week the South Korean army overwhelmed the rebels. The matter was reviewed by the South Korean Truth and reconciliation commission, which found that government forces killed between 439 and 2000 area civilians. U.S. forces played a role in suppressing the rebellion: U.S. commanders planned and directed the military operations, U.S. military advisors accompanied all ROK units, and U.S. aircraft were used to transport troops.
Park Chung-hee, who would later become the president of Korea, participated in the rebellion. It is alleged, however, that he was punished leniently in exchange for agreeing to hunt down those involved.Geochang massacre
The Geochang massacre (Korean: 거창 양민학살 사건, Hanja: 居昌良民虐殺事件) was a massacre conducted by the third battalion of the 9th regiment of the 11th Division of the South Korean Army between 9 February 1951 and 11 February 1951 of 719 unarmed citizens in Geochang, South Gyeongsang district of South Korea. The victims included 385 children. The 11th Division also conducted the Sancheong-Hamyang massacre two days earlier. The general commanding the division was Choe Deok-sin.
In March 1951, a lawmaker from Geochang reported the massacre to the National Assembly against South Korean Army cover up. The National Assembly’s special investigation team investigated, but failed by the South Korean Army interruption. In May 1951, the second investigation team was dispatched by the National Assembly and they reported the South Korean Army involvement. After the research, Major Han and Colonel Oh Ik-gyun were sentenced to life in prison by a military court. However, soon President Rhee Syngman granted clemency to criminals. This massacre is pointed out one of the Rhee Syngman’s misdeeds.
In April 2004, the Geochang Massacre Memorial Park was founded in memory of the victims, in Geochang.
On 20 February 2006, National Archives and Records Service reported the files about the massacre were found.
In 2001, a local court ordered the South Korean government to pay reparations to the victims’ families. On 18 May 2004, a general court ruled that a charge of massacre against the South Korean governmental was barred by limitation, and on 5 June 2008, the South Korean Supreme Court confirmed that the charge was barred by limitation.
