Hem
Demonstrationer mot planen i Seoul. (Lee Jin-man / AP)

Expert: Tror det är ett stort politiskt misstag

Den sydkoreanske presidenten Yook Sun-Yeols nya plan för att kompensera offren för japanskt tvångsarbete åren 1910–1945 lär inte falla i god jord hos sydkoreanerna, säger historikern David Palmer vid University of Melbourne till TT.

– Jag tror att han gör ett stort politiskt misstag.

Pengarna ska betalas ut av sydkoreanska företag genom en fond. Inga betalningskrav riktas mot den japanska staten, utan Sydkorea hoppas i stället på frivilliga bidrag från japanska företag. Detta väcker skarp kritik i landet, och protester har redan inletts.

Enligt Palmer lär den sydkoreanska allmänheten uppleva sig förolämpad av presidenten och se planen som ett försök att glömma historien.

Han tillägger att beskedet ska ses i ljuset av aktuell säkerhetspolitik, då Sydkorea vill stärka säkerhetssamarbetet med Japan för att tackla hotet från Nordkorea.

bakgrund
 
Korea under japanska kolonialtiden
Wikipedia (en)
Korea was ruled as a part of the Empire of Japan from 1910 to 1945. Joseon, a tributary state of the Qing dynasty, had come into the Japanese sphere of influence with the Japan–Korea Treaty of 1876; a complex coalition of the Meiji government, military, and business officials began a process of integrating Korea's politics and economy with Japan. The Korean Empire, proclaimed in 1897, became a protectorate of Japan with the Japan–Korea Treaty of 1905; thereafter Japan ruled the country indirectly through the Japanese Resident-General of Korea. Japan formally annexed the Korean Empire with the Japan–Korea Treaty of 1910, without the consent of the former Korean Emperor Gojong, the regent of the Emperor Sunjong. Upon its annexation, Japan declared that Korea would henceforth be officially named Chōsen (Japanese: 朝鮮). This name was recognized internationally until the end of Japanese colonial rule. The territory was administered by the Governor-General of Chōsen based in Keijō (Seoul). Japanese rule prioritized Korea's Japanization, accelerated the industrialization started during the Gwangmu Reform era of 1897 to 1907, built public works, and suppressed the Korean independence movement. The public works included developing railroads (Gyeongbu Line, Gyeongui Line, Gyeongwon Line, etc.) and improving major roads and ports that supported economic development. Averages for the annual GNP growth-rate of Chōsen were comparable to those in the Japanese naichi, ranging from 2.3% to 4.2% during the 25 years preceding the Second Sino-Japanese War. By the time of the Pacific War, industrial growth and output in Chōsen approached that of the naichi.Japanese rule over Korea ended on 15 August 1945 with the surrender of Japan in World War II. The armed forces of the United States and the Soviet Union subsequently occupied this region. Their division of Korea separated the Korean Peninsula into two different governments and economic systems: the northern Soviet Civil Administration and the southern United States Army Military Government in Korea. These post-war administrative areas were succeeded respectively by the modern independent states of North Korea and South Korea. Japan officially relinquished the claims of Korea in the signing of Treaty of San Francisco on 28 April 1952.In 1965 the Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and South Korea declared that previous unequal treaties between both countries, especially those of 1905 and 1910, were "already null and void" at the time of their promulgation. Interpretations of Japanese rule over Korea remain controversial in Japan and both North and South Korea.

Gå förbi betalväggar!

Omni Mer låser upp en mängd artiklar. En smidig lösning när du vill fördjupa dig.

Omni är politiskt obundna och oberoende. Vi strävar efter att ge fler perspektiv på nyheterna. Har du frågor eller synpunkter kring vår rapportering? Kontakta redaktionen