How do modern Japanese feel about Koreans?

[senator]

Again, I have to approve !
Senator, you should seriously consider going into the entertainment business ....

you mistaked me, that is not my pionts, i just get it from a japaness online.
it means that so many japaness miss the period of the time that Japan govered korea by force. how can you attack me before you understand what i talk about? i am angry with you..

 

[lexico]

you mistaked me, that is not my pionts, i just get it from a japaness online.
it means that so many japaness miss the period of the time that Japan govered korea by force. how can you attack me before you understand what i talk about? i am angry with you..

Peace, my friend, Peace.

I understand how you feel. You are seriously indignant at atrocities committed during WWII and even earlier in the case of Korea. And here you find a Korean who seems to mock at you. All I can say is that some pages of history are so disheartening that I often find liberated from the suffocation by extreme humor; it lets me breathe again like a living person.

What you say is all so true in a way, yet it is also true that most people do not have the heart to feel normal when prompted to see the ugly face of inhumanity which spits in the face of all decency. I could be as mad as you, or even worse, but I welcome one more chance to laugh and feel human again. I'm only thankful that you gave me that rare opportunity.

We are also comforted by the simple fact that ultra-nationalists who miss Japan's militarist past, reigning high in the older generation, are an extreme minority in Japan AND are dimishing in numbers as old age takes the toll. Time is on our side, quoting from a song in the disturbing movie, Seven, so let's be hopeful for a more peaceful tomorrow.

Peace, my dear friend, Senator !

 

[Nuala]

My korean friend really hates the japanese culture, and it's people. He really doesn't have any reason to, so I'm going to assume it was hardwired into his brain at a young age..

 

[cherrymen]

My korean friend really hates the japanese culture, and it's people. He really doesn't have any reason to, so I'm going to assume it was hardwired into his brain at a young age..

i don't agree with you..
maybe something wrong with japaness on policy past, but i don't think japaness culture is not advanced and excellent. it means that you prejudice against japaness culture. :sorry: ☝

 

[Maciamo]

... and another good japanese friend of mine is having a korean girlfriend

Sorry, could help commenting on this "is having" (my emphasis). It really sounds like your friend is having a cigartte or a meal (also reminds me of that thread about nyotaimori), or that he is such a nampa (=playboy) !

 

[shiroma]

Yet another law to use history for purging rivals.

Parties Approve Compromised Bill on Review of Modern History

However, investigations regarding Japan's colonial rule of Korea will only be limited to independence movements by Koreans as Japan's atrocities during the period are to be dealt with by a different committee, established by a separate legislation enacted at the end of last year.

Another report

 

[qwertyu]

I can't understand why so many Japanese and Koreans cannot see N. Koreans as normal human beings. My own experience in Tokyo was getting into a heated argument with my Japanese hosts about whether food aid should be suspended from N. Korea during their worst famine. And those were liberal journalists! I can't fanthom how it can be contenanced to starve innocent children, men and women to death. China was like N. Korea before they opened up, and look what time and a few carrots did. It's not perfect, but it's getting better.

I also read a very moving account by an independent HK-based charity expat women group which sent food and medicine aid to N. Korea in the HK papers. They were expecting to deal with abusive authorities, etc., but in fact, the N. Korean officials [lower ranking anyway] were uncorrupted, very helpful and even risked their lives when they encountered some dangers at sea.

My point is, they are human beings, whether you like KJI. Iraqis are human beings whether Saddam was a bastard.

I'm glad that most Koreans and Japanese have positive feelings about eachother, but I also think that they mustn't be naive about the fact that there are very real rightwing racist-ultranationalists around who are trumping that Japan colonised Korea and the Asian continent for the good of Asians, many of these hold very high office in politics and economics and have the clout to spread their ideology unchallenged. Even among young Japanese, the propaganda against "masochistic history" [actually "honest history"] seems to have affected their attitude to feel a certain pride in their WWII history.

 

[Soon Ie]

This generation of Koreans as well as the generation before us have good relations with Japanese people. Coming from Korea and living in the U.S. I've seen that most of the Korean students who come to the U.S. to study interact with Japanese students fairly well. Perhaps there are some cases in which attitudes are not as positive towards one another, however generally, Koreans don't have a problem with Japanese people. It is true that Japanese culture has influnced Korean culture. If you go to Pusan, you can see more influence from Japan since the city is closest to Japan.

Though of course I can understand why older generations of Koreans have a dificult time with Japanese people because of history. Japan colonized Korea forceably and during WWII took hundreds of Korean woman as comfort women as well as the Korean hibakusha (atomic bombing victims) in both cases Japan refusing to take responsibility for the Korean victims and their phsyical problems due to the Japanese soliders and effects of the war that were directly their fault.

Also someone else in this thread talked about the horrid things that N. Korea has done to South Korea, however if you examine the history of North and South Korea, North Korea mostly attacked South Korea in small increiments in hopes to comunize the South, however this began to stop during the 1970's when N. Korea stopped trying to communize the South and started focusing on their nuclear program and other issues. North Korea has also started to cooperate in rejoining families that were separated in the initial separation of the two Koreas in 1945. Although I don't agree or support North Korea's governement, one of the main reasons why N. Korea is considered such an evil power by the U.S. is because of its communist regime and because its viewed as the main obstacle in reunification.

Anyways, its interesting to read everyone's views. ^^

 

[protocol_7]

I'm a Korean-Canadian and I personally don't hate Japan or the Japanese people with blinding hatred. But I, as a Korean, can't help but to be infuriated when I read an article about Dokdo or looking at the previous building National Museum of Korea that stood in front of 'kyoung bok goong' or by historical facts. This by no means that I would ever hate a Japanese person. It's easy to place these feeling toward a person or a country and its culture overall. I just hate the general racism of both close minded Koreans and ill-informed Japanese (though I have to admit the former seems more abundant).

What I found most fascinating about how old Korean people think about Japanese people is that even the most conservative parents wouldn't have any problem having their children marrying a Japanese person. Even though they would most likely go against having their children marrying a person of Chinese or Caucasian descendent.

 

[ralian]

Some of my good friends are from South Korea, and we get along very well.
I like Korean food, and they like Japanese food.
I studied Korean for 2 semesters at University, and found very easy to learn because of the same sentence structure.

 

[shiroma]

Another heart-warming news of mad democracy:

Committee OKs Seizure of Collaborators' Property

Authorities can seize property amassed through collaboration and inherited by descendants of collaborators.

Then they passed the law on the next day (any time taken at all for discussions at the assembly?)

Assembly Approves Confiscation of Japanese Collaborators' Assets

The National Assembly on Thursday approved a special law that allows the government to confiscate personal assets of people believed to have collaborated with Japan during the Japanese colonial rule of Korea decades ago.

The fun about very flexible applications of this creative law could be the backfire factor (they will probably choose Japanese government somehow for demanding payback though.)

Related post

 

[nignak]

mmh, well, after I read most of the thread (and I know most of what I have to say something about was posted over a year ago) I don't understand why everybody attacked Jopok so badly, just because he stated his opinion. I think that he stated calmly and reasonable, with the Corea and Korea thing (at least at the beginning, until the rest started attacking him) and it makes sense to me. I mean, when Korea and Japan had to organize the Soccer WM 2002 together, they even fought about something stupid like should the WM be called "WM 2002 Korea/Japan" or Japan/Korea... I don't think that this is something childish, to change Corea to Korea just to be called before them. I don't know if it is true or not, but it would make sense, because during the occupation the Koreans would have known why they were named Korea by Japan, and they would be reminded every time when they read Korea that Japan wanted to rub their superiority under their nose. But who cares if it is true, we all know that there happened ugly things back in those days and I don't think that this is the reason why Koreans can't forgive Japan.
Because the Japanese gouvernment won't admit what they did. But I don't blame them. The only country that I know from, which admitted their mistakes is Germany. Even the roman catholic church needed over 200 years to admit that Galileo Galilei was right.
And I think it is wrong that there exist Koreans who blame all Japanese. I know what I am talking about, because I live in Germany. And even Germany admitted their guilt, Germans are still guilty. Most of the youth is sick of being accused of something their ancestors did. Probably Germany is the least patriotic country in the world because the past is hunting them. Even after 50 years we are still paying money to the Jews for what we did, even though, most of the people are dead who comitted those crimes. Sadly mostGermans are not proud to be German.
The people of a country shouldn't be blamed, but at least the country should stand up to the real history and not to the history written by the winners. Every country has his own Hitler or Stalin etc.
And I think those visits to the shrine are unnessecary. People can say what they want, in my opinion these are just hints to remind the other asians countries (especially china) who the strongest country in Asia is.
But don't get me wrong, I like Japan as well as Korea. Both cultures have negative sides too, but who hasn't? In my opinion, Japanese should just accept Koreans and tolerate their good as well as their bad sides and the other way around.

 

[Hyde_is_my_anti-drug]

As with a lot of things I think the main problems between Japanese and Koreans comes from the older generations (to my elders, I mean no disrespect in that ). I will never forget something that I was witness to several years ago before my Korean Grandmother passed away. She had come to visit us one year and went with us to the Do-Jang we were attending at that time. One of the students there was Japanese, an olderly women (who could kick your butt any day. Ah, found memories) whom I loved dearly and was close with. But my Grandmama was very, very, very cold to her. I wasn't very old when this happened and I didn't understand why my Grandmama had been so mean to my friend. It wasn't until many years later that I realized what the reason had been. Old grudges die hard it seems.
However I am hopeful for the future. My friend from the Do-Jang was always very kind to me and my family although we were Korean and she was Japanese. And most young Asians I've met don't give me cold stares for being Korean. I think in time the wounds may heal but you can never say for sure. I hope they do. I for one would like to be able to someday move to and live in Japan and not have my family constantly worrying about me because of my race.

When I was a kid growing up in Japan, I never heard of the word "Kim Chi". I certainly never ate it. Today, it's commonly eaten all over Japan.

I grew up on it. My Grandmama made the best in the world and my dad's is good too. I haven't had it in a long time though...that needs fixing.

 

[shiroma]

In other words they are defeating themselves by advertising the dispute to the world.

Japan's "Takeshima" Celebrations Anger Koreans

No fire dance this time.

Photos

 

[shiroma]

삼일운동

The annual March Fool's Day speech:

Address of President Roh Moo-hyun on 87th Anniversary of March First Independence Movement Day

Japan's political leaders continue to pay homage to the shrine and the day when Dokdo was occupied by force as part of a war of invasion is being remembered.

There was no war between Japan and Korea in the 20th century. Korea was annexed instead. The peninsula was not battlefield during WWII. Japan did not occupy Takeshima by force. What kind of fantasy story is this lawyer babbling about. No one takes the rest of whines seriously either.

No Koreans have pointed out the incorrectness, because their definition of the word fact is what they want to hear. And they tell the world that Japan distorts history.

 

[pipokun]

Korean Protests Baffle Belgians

Six young Korean men in yellow vests on Tuesday afternoon gathered in front of the Stock Exchange in Brussels chanting, "No War, No Bush.ﾂ" They had spent 11 hours and 30 minutes on board a plane to make their point in protest against an international conference on North Korean human rights that started there the same day.

Chosun Ilbo
Who are they? It seems to me that they are quite different Koreans from my South Korean friends.

 

[osias]

Why Koreans are SO xenophobic??

Personally, I have nothing against Korean ppl, and I've had some good Korean friends who are so generous and helpful.

But I was wondering why some Koreans are so arrogant, like one of my Korean classmates that keeps telling you how things in Korea are better than in Japan, eg. Korean dramas, Korean products, etc. Why do they feel that they have to convince others that they are far superior to the Japanese? Japanese students wouldn't say anything about this, because this was so ridiculous, but when a Russian guy told him that Japanese products are much better in quality, and that ppl buy Korean products just because they are cheap, this Korean guy got SO furious.

A global survey also tells that the world does not see Korean products as quality products.(http://www.nationbrandindex.com/)

Also, I think that some Koreans are very much emotional and explosive when it comes to certain topics. In a class discussion on racism, I once told this Korean guy, as a plain fact, that Korean ppl in Japan (ie. Zainichi) are discriminated against. I just thought I have to admit a fact as it is, and there is nothing to hide about, but this guy got so mad about this. He started to blame that Koreans can't acquire Japanese citizenship because they are discriminated against, etc, etc, This is not true. Actually it is fairly easy for Korean residents to acquire Japanese citizenship, so I told him so, but he does not admit that. He accuses others for the things he knows nothing about. It is unfair to blame others in this manner.

On the other hand, this Korean guy tells me that there is no such thing as discrimination in his own country because Korea is ethnically homogenious. (This is not true, but why do they believe this?) When I asked about foreigners in his country, he said that foreigners don't count because they are not Koreans.

He blames the Japanese for discrimination against Koreans, but he doesn't blame his own people for the same deeds commited against foreigners in Korea. What a double standard! Maybe he doesn't know the meaning of the word consistency. He seems to believe that all faults are commited by the Japanese, not Koreans. I know this guy is well-educated, but his arguments are illogical, to the point of nonsense.

I don't mean that all Koreans are like that, but maybe this guy tells something about his country?? He is very much like a typical Korean to me.

Yes, Love is blind, and love for their own country makes Koreans blind.

 

[osias]

No offence, but why is it that Koreans are so impolite to foreign nationals???Well, I shouldn't overgeneralize, but many non-Koreans find Koreans impolite and aggressive?? No manners?? Very insincere because they lie.

 

[bossel]

No offence, but why is it that Koreans are so impolite to foreign nationals???Well, I shouldn't overgeneralize, but many non-Koreans find Koreans impolite and aggressive?? No manners?? Very insincere because they lie.

You are right: You should not over-generalise! But you do.
The Koreans I met (only few in number, admittedly) were actually quite polite.

 

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

At least 20 hurt as pickpocket gang sprays tear-gas at Tokyo station

Thursday, April 6, 2006 at 14:01 EDT
TOKYO — Four suspected pickpockets released a tear gas-like spray at a railway station in Tokyo on Thursday morning while trying to flee police, leaving about 20 injured, police and firefighters said. Police arrested one of the group, a man claiming to be a 38-year-old South Korean, on suspicion of causing injuries in using the spray on a platform at JR Nishi-Nippori Station in Arakawa Ward at 9:50 a.m., they said.
The man was carrying a kitchen knife, they said. The three other suspects remain at large.
Among the victims were two police officers who were seriously injured, the police said.
According to police and station workers, the two police officers first spotted the four near a ticket gate, judged them suspicious and questioned them. The four fled to the platform and the arrested suspect released the spray there, the police said.
On March 29, a group of four unidentified men allegedly used an unidentified spray on a man and his mother after a tussle in a subway station in Shinjuku, also in downtown Tokyo, and fled the scene.
http://www.crisscross.com/jp/news/369107

http://home.kyodo.co.jp/modules/fstStory/index.php?storyid=239759

 

[osias]

You are right: You should not over-generalise! But you do.
The Koreans I met (only few in number, admittedly) were actually quite polite.

Of course, there are SOME polite Koreans; but look what MANY do/did, they seem to be causing trouble wherever they go. Their racism also targets anybody Caucasian, African, Chinese, South East Asian, etc.
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200402/200402200009.html
http://universiade.daegu.go.kr/eng/...ee&board_idx=1682&GotoPage=7&pg_name=list.asp
http://universiade.daegu.go.kr/eng/...ee&board_idx=2301&GotoPage=3&pg_name=list.asp
I got ripped off at a store when I travelled Korea, which is how the locals show their hospitality to a foreign tourist. A guide (an overseas Chinese in Korea) said that they charge you an unreasonable price if you are a Japanese. So I think they are pretty dishonest. To them, the Japanese=Money!! (But in some other countries, like China, Taiwan, or HK,they also cheat you on the price if you are a Japanese, because the Japanese are dupes?? Maybe. Sure.)
Although there are nice Koreans too, I don't get a good impression from this country as a whole.

 

[Minty]

Of course, there are SOME polite Koreans; but look what MANY do/did, they seem to be causing trouble wherever they go. Their racism also targets anybody Caucasian, African, Chinese, South East Asian, etc.
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200402/200402200009.html
http://universiade.daegu.go.kr/eng/...ee&board_idx=1682&GotoPage=7&pg_name=list.asp
http://universiade.daegu.go.kr/eng/...ee&board_idx=2301&GotoPage=3&pg_name=list.asp
I got ripped off at a store when I travelled Korea, which is how the locals show their hospitality to a foreign tourist. A guide (an overseas Chinese in Korea) said that they charge you an unreasonable price if you are a Japanese. So I think they are pretty dishonest. To them, the Japanese=Money!! (But in some other countries, like China, Taiwan, or HK,they also cheat you on the price if you are a Japanese, because the Japanese are dupes?? Maybe. Sure.)
Although there are nice Koreans too, I don't get a good impression from this country as a whole.

Hmmm I won't say they are deliberately targeting at Japanese.

I got ripped off in HK, or Taiwan even China too and I am an overseas Chinese.

I didn't in Thailand but they did try though but because my husband has been an expatriate there for few years and he knows how to deal with them, so their attempt has failed.

I also got ripped off in Australia by a Philippino family on rent when I was studying in Sydney, and I got ripped off in the US too when I was visiting there.

The thing is there are bad people everywhere.

 

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

The thing is there are bad people everywhere.

I agree, too.
.....But,

Police: Suspect In Fatal Hit-And-Run Accident Flew To Korea.

LOS ANGELES -- Parents of a victim in a hit-and-run accident have learned the identity of the suspected driver, but there is a hitch.
Police say that suspect was driven to the airport after the crash and flew to Korea.
Carlton Cook and his wife say they read the report over and over trying to make sense of it. What became clear, they say, is that the man accused of killing their son Ryan Dallas Cook is gone.


"It was just complete shock to get this information and have paint such a vivid picture of what happened in this situation," said father Carlton Cook.

According to the report, 39-year-old Youn Bum Lee was with some business associates at Seoul-Oak Korean B.B.Q. restaurant where witnesses say he drank eight shots of Soju --a Korean rice wine.

The report says the group went to a Karaoke bar until just before midnight.

Then half an hour later a UPS driver spotted a black Hyundai drifting into the HOV lane, as if someone had passed out and hit the center divider.

Minutes after that Ryan Cook -- a trombone player with the band Suburban Legends -- was riding his motorcycle home from band practice. Investigators say he never saw the parked car with its lights out. Cook died at the scene.

"After the traffic collision, Mr. Lee contacted one of the witnesses and drove the vehicle back to the corporation where he met with one of the witnesses and then he left the country through LAX," said Jennifer Hink with the California Highway Patrol.

The report says Lee, who NBC4 reports works for Hyundai, showed his damaged car to a Hyundai executive who then drove him to an attorney's office. It says Lee got in a taxi then boarded a plane to Korea.

"What kind of a man is he who doesn't stand up for what he did. He made a mistake and he was too cowardly to stick around and own up to his own mistakes," said Janet Cook.

A Hyundai spokesperson said in a statement that, "We agree this was a horrible and tragic accident. Hyundai Corperation is cooperating fully with the CHP and any further questions can be directed to them."

Lee is facing charges of vehicular manslaughter, felony hit-and-run and driving under the influence
http://www.nbc4.tv/news/8471812/detail.html

 

[bossel]

Of course, there are SOME polite Koreans; but look what MANY do/did, they seem to be causing trouble wherever they go. Their racism also targets anybody Caucasian, African, Chinese, South East Asian, etc.

I agree, too.
.....But,

Sorry, but it's a quite crappy tactic to take some individual cases & then say (many/most) Koreans are like that. Do you have any valid statistics to prove your point?

 

[osias]

Sorry, but it's a quite crappy tactic to take some individual cases & then say (many/most) Koreans are like that. Do you have any valid statistics to prove your point?

I don't think there is any statistics, it is not anything that you can count by numbers. It is an intersubjective thing. Just look around other Korean forums to find out what foreign residents say about them. Deductive reasoning is often good enough when there are so many evidences. You can read so many firsthand experiences in other forums.

I admit that there is racism anywhere else, but the biggest different, from what I know, is that Korean adults actually teach and encourage their kids to hate, whereas in other countries racisim is not condoned. Hatred is ingrained in their culture. Have you seen the "Fxxx Japan" posters that Korean kids are forced to draw?