Japan apologizes for colonial rule of Korea

[Adhesive]

Japan apologizes for colonial rule of Korea

(CNN) -- Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada on Thursday apologized to South Korea for the more than three decades when Japan ruled over Korea, calling the time a "tragic incident."
Okada made the rare apology during a joint news conference with South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan, Korean state-run media reported...

[bolt_krank]

I think it's a good thing - and hopefully, but doubtfully it will help ties with the country.

The sad thing is - I think there's gonna be a lot of people angry at him for doing it.

[nottu]

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

Apologizing is achronistic, nuevo-politico, basically fucked-up.

I'm with nottu.
What's the point? It's just another in a long list of Japanese apologies dating back to the end of the war.
Is it going to change the way South Koreans view Japan? I severely doubt it.
Does the apology mean Japan will now work constructively with Korea to make up for its colonial rule? I severely doubt that, too.
And why does Japan have to apologize so often for its colonization? Why not the British, who could be every bit (and often more) brutal? The Americans? French? Germans? Belgians? Portuguese? Dutch? Spanish? Soviets? Russians/Chinese?
I'm sure Okada's apology is aimed at placating his hosts, but no mere words are ever going to make the Koreans forgive and forget (especially as long as they continue their near-rapid anti-Japanese education system). I doubt that there's anything Japan do to shut them up....except, perhaps, to take them over again, but I guess that's not really a realistic option these days.

[TennoChinko]

Politically-incorrect but perhaps Korea should also consider thanking the Japarinos for providing them with much of the infrastructure that they still use to this day including transportation, buildings and essential governmental and public services like the postal system, education, military and their basic bureaucracy. And, it is not as controversial as it sounds -- former colony Taiwan acknowledges as much. Also, similar arguments have been made (and accepted by many) regarding the British rule of India.

[Takechanpoo]

[Greji]

Politically-incorrect but perhaps Korea should also consider thanking the Japarinos for providing them with much of the infrastructure that they still use to this day including transportation, buildings and essential governmental and public services like the postal system, education, military and their basic bureaucracy. And, it is not as controversial as it sounds -- former colony Taiwan acknowledges as much. Also, similar arguments have been made (and accepted by many) regarding the British rule of India.

Agreed. I spend over a year in Seoul and was highly impressed with the established comfort girl system......

[bornbitter]

Is it off topic to mention I can't stop staring at Greji's nipples?

[Greji]

Is it off topic to mention I can't stop staring at Greji's nipples?

Off topic. They're not Korean.....

[Adhesive]

[AssKissinger]

Isn't this like the millionth apology and then a few months later Korea starts up again with Japan needs to apologize.

[IkemenTommy]

And when will Korea ever apologize for all the patent infringements?

[TennoChinko]

Isn't this like the millionth apology and then a few months later Korea starts up again with Japan needs to apologize.

It's hard to apologize to people who display attitudes like in the following photos. It only seems to feed their fanaticism and feelings of entitlement:

[Yokohammer]

Japan's colonial rule of Korea lasted for about 35 years, so maybe Japan needs to apologize every day for the same length of time?

Nah ... I don't think simply apologizing, no matter how fervently or frequently it's done, is going to straighten this out. There are way too many underlying issues: the textbooks, the treatment of Korean descendants in Japan, Takeshima/Dokdo, etc.

And, yeah, there are a few "quirks" on the Korean side as well, but I think the onus is on Japan to swallow it's national pride and lead the way in this case. Doing so would make Japan look really good in the international spotlight (and the Koreans like a bunch of whining kids).

[2triky]

And when will Korea ever apologize for all the patent infringements?

And Daewoo's and Hyundai's?

[maraboutslim]

I've never understood this apology nonsense. Japan just did what *every* country wanted to do in those days. And they supposed to apologize because they were better at it than the Koreans or the Chinese? I guess James "Buster" Douglas should also apologize for knocking out Tyson 20 years ago in Tokyo?

The only people the Korean and the Chinese should be asking for an apology are their own ancestors for being so easily conquered by the Japanese. I mean, how the hell could a country as big and with such a rich history as China get totally punked by the Japanese? That's the question China needs to ask itself.

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

I mean, how the hell could a country as big and with such a rich history as China get totally punked by the Japanese? That's the question China needs to ask itself.

That in itself is a matter of colonialism, with the British effectively destroying much of the country's core by encouraging mass-scale opium use (I know, I know, lots of other factors matter, but that one was a really big one). Japan's intervention in China came only after all the European colonial powers had been chomping into China for ages.

Japan is nefariously selective about what it chooses to remember about the past (as most countries are, but perhaps not to the same extent), but I fail to see why it is constantly sought to take responsibility for colonialism when the same thing is not sought from other colonial powers. It's unfair. Of course, being almost a pseudo-U.S. colony itself, it's not really possible for Japan to make this argument. But still, it's not getting a fair deal compared to how other former colonial powers are treated.

[nottu]

[Takechanpoo]

Joint public opinion poll in Japan and Korea by Asahi Shinbun and Donga Ilbo

Japanese side:
History problem is still unsettled 52%
Apology to Korea is enough 55%
Compensation to Korean "victims" is enough 57%

On the other hand.....
Korean side:
History problem is still unsettled 94%
Apology to Korea is still not enough 97%
Need more compensations to Korean "victims" 89%

"More apology nida!!! More compensation nida!!! More more nida nida!!!"

[Greji]

Fuck the Koreans - the Japanese should rearm and reconquer and let the Koreans concern themselves with more important issues - like food.

Good point Nottu, but are you suggesting they eat Japanese? Well, I suppose with a side of Kimchee, it might work. I had a KGF once and she could swallow a side of beef without so much as a belch...