Examples of Distortions

Rumania: “Economic development in Korea is partially based on the industrial infrastructure created during the Japanese colonial period and …”(Modern Industries, Mircheastomian, 1992.)

China: “Joseon modern education system developed rapidly under Japanese rule. The Japanese Governor’s Office sought to modernize education in Joseon by introducing the Japanese education system. Joseon’s educational accomplishments during that time greatly contributed to the subsequent modernization and development of the country”(Yin, Bao-yun, Why did Korea succeed, Wen-jin Publishers, 1993.)

Comment

 There are those who believer that Japan’s colonial rule greatly contributed to Korea’s development into a modern nation. This view accepts Japan’s justification of its colonization of Korea.

In other words, according to some Japanese scholars, Korea’s backward economic structure was replaced and the groundwork for a modern capitalist economy laid during the Japanese occupation of Korea. For examples, there are those who maintain that Korea achieved significant industrialization during the Japanese occupation because of a land survey, plans to increase rice production and the construction of plants for making war materials. All of the above were initiated by the Japanese, but it was don’t to exploit the resources of Korea.

Moreover, the incipient development of capitalism in Korea during the Japanese occupation was not intended to benefit the Korean people. Rather, it was intended to exploit Korean resources for Japanese economic development. That is, Korea was forced by Japan into an abnormal form of modernization which only benefited Japan. Korea’s independent attempts at modernization which were made prior to Japan’s colonization, never had a chance to materialize due to Japan’s annexation of the country.

Korea’s fast economic growth in recent decades was driven by abundant and high-quality labor, a high regard for education, and a strong sense of industriousness. The legacy of the Japanese occupation left nothing but negative practices in Korea, including a Jaebeol (conglomerate) oriented economy and collusion between politicians and businessman. Therefore, the argument that Japan’s actions benefited Korea fails to appreciate the enormous hardship suffered by Koreans under Japanese colonial rule. Furthermore, such a claim ranks with statements made by some Japanese politicians who attempt to justify Japan’s military expansion in Asia prior to and during World War II as the liberation of Asian countries from Western colonial rule.