Mainly a Hetalia blog, but you will also find Homestuck, Avatar, the Avengers, Sherlock, and anything else I find interesting.
» "invasion" is not well-defined for Japanese PM
ecue:
yesterday, Japan PM Abe Shinzo commented that “the concept of invasion(침략:侵略) is not well-defined in either academia or internationally” while other members of his cabinet commented that colonization benefited korea.
i’m sure the korean “new right” would agree.
God these bastards are fucking disgusting
fuCKING ABE SHINZOU and god the LDP needs to just stop
they keep talking about how ”’demoralising”’ it would be to Japanese high school students if they found out about the colonisation of Korea and that’s why they remove references to it from textbooks but y’know most Japanese people i’ve talked to have been distressed that it was covered up and even if they weren’t NO FUCKING TAKE RESPONSIBILITY arghhhh
Why does this sound like white people and their “oh no our children would be too traumatized to actually learn about racism” shit?
Oh right because it is the same tactic. The same mentality that children are somehow too fragile to learn about their own history. That children should be sheltered. That children should be proud of their country and not be an idiot.
1. My grandparents survived this colonization as children and as young adults. If they can, so can the youths of today. Grow the fuck up.
2. When children are sheltered from the harsh truths of the world they become adults and they don’t learn, they just perpetuate harmless shit because they don’t know. Then we have to do the job of educating them. I say fuck that.
3. There are plenty of things to be proud of in Japanese history and culture. Take pride in those. This is not something that diminishes your country as a whole. No country’s history is flawless like some golden egg. Apologize. Make amends. Be respectful. Have the conscience to be mature about this.
Sit the fuck down Abe Shinzou.
Small scale commerce like these vendors have been appearing all around North Korea. Most sell ice cream, donuts, popcorn, drinks, and other snacks.
I thought this was an amazing photoset of Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. It shows the North Korean people as actual human beings, rather than crazed nuclear warheads.
Surprisingly Lush Photos of Daily Life in North Korea
AMANDA ERICKSON
APR 12, 2013
Few have an opportunity to peek behind the veil of North Korea. This photo collection, pulled together by Reuters, reveals a surprisingly varied vision of life in North Korea. (Though of course, as most journalists need to be accompanied by minders, there are probably things we’ll never get to see).
Pablo Picasso - Massacre in Korea
“In 2008 the South Korean Truth and Reconciliation commission found 1,222 instances of mass killings, with at least 215 of these involving U.S. troops or airplanes massacring unarmed civilians. At Cheongwon in central Korea, up to 7,000 people were slaughtered.”
The U.S. committed an uncountable amount of acts designated as “war crimes”, including widespread use of chemical and biological weapons such as the plague, and intentionally destroying hydroelectric dams that provided drinking water for 75% of the population. In total around 5 million Koreans lost their lives.
Remember No Gun Ri, Jeju, Yeosun, and the countless other instances of mass extermination by the U.S.Reblogging this because most of my followers probably don’t know about this and this is important regardless of whether or not you’re Korean. SERIOUSLY, READ THIS. This is important if you’re an American (well, in my opinion, it’s important even if you’re not) and if you want to better understand why, aside from the obvious, the U.S. and North Korea don’t get along and why the DPRK hates the U.S so much.
I’m going to condense this into bullets and put the main points in bold because I know that if this is super long, you guys are definitely going all TL;DR and scroll past this post. Anyway, if you have any questions, feel free to ask and I’ll try to answer to the best of my limited knowledge:
- The U.S., not Korea, was completely responsible for splitting Korea into two, which everyone in Korea wanted to avoid. This happened in 1945 at the end of WWII with the surrender of Japan (not with the 1953 Korean War armistice which basically just reaffirmed things that were already in place).
- Yes, armistice, not treaty. Even though it’s been 63 years since the start of the war (and 60 since the armistice), the war has never officially ended. The two Koreas are technically still at war. This explains the South’s mandatory military service required of all their male citizens and why, if the North declares war, it’s a continuation of an existing war rather than a completely new one.
- The U.S. is also partially at fault for the Korean War happening. After WWII, they put those who were in power during colonial rule back into influential positions in the South, pissing off a lot of people in the North for a lot of reasons, namely that many of these people were Japanese sympathizers or collaborators. Basically, they put the old Japanese machinery back into place and if you know anything of the Japanese occupation of Korea, you’ll know why they were angry. It’s also why the North didn’t see the South’s government as legitimate. Yeah, somehow the U.S. thought it was a great idea to put people who supported their enemies during the war in power again.
- The American strategy during the Korean War was to wipe out all life in tactical locality. They carpet-bombed the North with bombs and napalm with next to no concern for civilian casualties.
- According to U.S. Air Force estimates, “the scale of urban destruction quite exceeded that in Germany and Japan.” Yes, you read correctly. Feel free to go “WTH?” especially considering how tiny North Korea is (46,541 sq. miles). It’s about the same size as Pennsylvania (46,055 sq. miles). Compare that to Germany (137,800 sq. miles) and Japan (145,925 sq. miles).
- More bombs were dropped in Korea by the U.S. than had been dropped in the entire Pacific theater in World War II. Also a huge WTH if you guys know how bad the war was in the Pacific.
- By 1953, at least 50% of 18 out of North Korea’s 22 major cities were obliterated.
- Nearly 10% of the Korean population died during the war, the majority from the North.
- The aerial bombardment of North Korea inflicted the greatest loss of civilian life in the Korean War by far.
So basically, the U.S. never talks about this. I never learned ANY of this growing up. All I learned from high school was that the North started the Korean War (only partially true; they did invade, but things had been going on before 1950 due to American actions and conflicts originating from the colonial era) and that the U.S. and South Korea (democracy! Good!) went against North Korea and China (Communism! Bad!). I was shocked when I learned all this last semester and basically, it makes it a lot easier to understand the deep seated hatred North Korea holds towards the United States today. I’m not saying the North wasn’t aggressive during the war; they were as were the South, but it’s kind of strange how while it was the U.S. that wreaked the most devastation during the war, the North is seen as the ultimate aggressor.
Like do you guys understand? The U.S. committed war crimes and NO ONE TALKS ABOUT THIS AND THIS IS SO IMPORTANT IN UNDERSTANDING WHY NORTH KOREA ACTS THE WAY IT DOES RIGHT NOW (not including the events that happen from 1953 and on with the collapse of the USSR, the 1990s famine, and basically just how the U.S. dealt and interacted with the DPRK in the second half of the 20th century).
Anyway, sorry this is disgustingly long, but I just think it’s really important for people to learn and know. :/
Thank you for adding that information. This information should be required reading for all humans.
read this.
that explains why North Korea acts so erratically to our eyes…
History of Korea
The Korean Peninsula was inhabited from the Lower Paleolithic about 400,000-700,000 years ago. Gojoseon was the first Korean kingdom. The founding legend of Gojoseon states that the country was established in 2333 BC by Dangun, said to be descended from heaven. While no evidence has been found that supports whatever facts may lie beneath this, the account has played an important role in developing Korean national identity.
After the fall of Gojoseon, Buyeo arose in today’s North Korea and southern Manchuria. Its remnants were absorbed by Goguryeo in 494, and both Goguryeo and Baekje, two of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, considered themselves its successor.
Goguryeo was founded in 37 BC by Jumong. Later, King Taejo centralized the government. Goguryeo was the first Korean kingdom to adopt Buddhism as the state religion in 372, in King Sosurim’s reign. Goguryeo reached its zenith in the 5th century, when King Gwanggaeto the Great and his son, King Jangsu, expanded the country into almost all of Manchuria and part of inner Mongolia, and took the present-day Seoul from Baekje. Goguryeo later fought and defeated massive Chinese invasions in the Goguryeo-Sui War of 598 – 614, which contributed to Sui’s fall, and continued to repel the Tang dynasty (see Goguryeo–Tang War). However, numerous wars with China exhausted Goguryeo and it fell into a weak state. After internal power struggles, it was conquered by allied Silla-Tang forces in 668.
Baekje’s foundation by King Onjo in 18 BC followed those of Goguryeo and Silla.The Sanguo Zhi mentions Baekje as a member of the Mahan confederacy in the Han River basin (near present-day Seoul). It expanded into the southwest (Chungcheong and Jeolla provinces) of the peninsula and became a significant political and military power. At its peak in the 4th century in the reign of King Geunchogo, it had absorbed all of the Mahan states and subjugated most of the western Korean peninsula (including the modern provinces of Gyeonggi, Chungcheong, and Jeolla, as well as part of Hwanghae and Gangwon) to a centralized government. Baekje acquired Chinese culture and technology through contacts with the Southern Dynasties during the expansion of its territory. Baekje was defeated by a coalition of Silla and Tang Dynasty forces in 660.
According to legend, the kingdom Silla began with the unification of six chiefdoms of the Jinhan confederacy by Bak Hyeokgeose in 57 BC, in the southeastern area of Korea. Its territory included the present-day port city of Busan. By the 2nd century, Silla was a large state, occupying and influencing nearby city states. Silla gained further power when it annexed the Gaya confederacy in 562. By the mid-sixth century, the Silla Kingdom had brought under its control all of the neighboring town-states within the Gaya Confederation. Through an alliance with the Tang Dynasty of China, Silla unified the Korean Peninsula in 668 and saw the zenith of its power and prosperity in the mid-eighth century. It attempted to establish an ideal Buddhist country. However, its Buddhist social order began to deteriorate as the nobility indulged in increasing luxury. Silla had repelled Tang attempts to subjugate Goguryeo and Baeche by 676. Then in 698, the former people of Goguryeo who resided in south-central Manchuria established the Kingdom of Balhae.
Balhae possessed an advanced culture which was rooted in that of Goguryeo. Balhae prosperity reached its height in the first half of the ninth century with the occupation of a vast territory reaching to the Amur River in the north and Kaiyuan in south-central Manchuria to the west. It also established diplomatic ties with Turkey and Japan. Balhae existed until 926, when it was overthrown by the Khitan. Many of the Balhae nobility, who were mostly Goguryeo descendants, moved south and joined the newly founded Goryeo Dynasty.
The Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) was founded by Wang Geon, a general who had served under Gungye, a rebel prince of the Silla Kingdom. Choosing his native town of Songak (present-day Gaeseong in North Korea) as the capital, Wang Geon proclaimed the goal of recovering the lost territory of the Goguryeo Kingdom in northeast China. Wang Geon named his dynasty Goryeo, from which the modern name Korea is derived. Although the Goryeo Dynasty could not reclaim lost lands, it achieved a sophisticated culture represented by cheongja or blue-green celadon and flourishing Buddhist tradition. In 1231 the Mongols began their campaigns against Korea and after 25 years of struggle, Goryeo relented by signing a treaty with the Mongols. For the following 80 years Goryeo survived as a tributary ally of the Mongol-ruled Yuan Dynasty in China. In the 1350s, the Yuan Dynasty declined rapidly due to internal struggles, enabling King Gongmin to reform the Goryeo government. The Goryeo dynasty would last until 1392. Taejo of Joseon, the founder of the Joseon Dynasty, took power in a coup in 1388 and after serving as a power behind the throne for two monarchs, established the Joseon Dynasty in 1392.
In 1392, the general Yi Seong-gye, later known as Taejo, established the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1897), named in honor of the ancient kingdom Gojoseon and based on idealistic Confucianism-based ideology. Taejo moved the capital to Hanyang (modern-day Seoul) and built Gyeongbokgung palace. In 1394 he adopted Neo-Confucianism as the country’s official religion. The Joseon rulers governed the dynasty with a well-balanced political system. A civil service examination system was the main channel for recruiting government officials. During the reign of King Sejong the Great (1418-1450), Joseon’s fourth monarch, Korea enjoyed an unprecedented flowering of culture and art. Under King Sejong’s guidance, scholars at the royal academy created the Korean alphabet Hangeul. It was then called Hunminjeongeum, or “proper phonetic system to educate the people.”
In 1592, Japan invaded the peninsula to pave the way for its incursion into China. At sea, Admiral Yi Sun-sin (1545-1598), one of the most respected figures in Korean history, led a series of brilliant naval maneuvers against the Japanese, deploying the geobukseon (turtle ships), which are believed to be the world’s first ironclad battleships. A period of peace followed in the 18th century during the years of King Yeongjo and King Jeongjo, who led a new renaissance of the Joseon dynasty. In 1897, Joseon was renamed the Korean Empire, and King Gojong became Emperor Gojong. The imperial government aimed to become a strong and independent nation by implementing domestic reforms. But after Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905) Korea effectively became a protectorate of Japan on 17 November 1905, the 1905 Protectorate Treaty having been promulgated without Emperor Gojong’s required seal or commission.
At the Cairo Conference on November 22, 1943, it was agreed that “in due course Korea shall become free and independent”; at a later meeting in Yalta in February 1945, it was agreed to establish a four-power trusteeship over Korea. On August 9, 1945, Soviet tanks entered northern Korea from Siberia. This led to the division of Korea into two occupation zones effectively starting on September 8, 1945, with the United States administering the southern half of the peninsula and the Soviet Uniontaking over the area north of the 38th parallel. This division was meant to be temporary and was first intended to return a unified Korea back to its people after the United States, United Kingdom, Soviet Union, and Republic of China could arrange a single government. On December 12, 1948, the General Assembly of the United Nations recognised the Republic of Korea as the sole legal government of Korea. In June 25, 1950 the Korean War broke out when North Korea breached the 38th parallel line to invade the South, ending any hope of a peaceful reunification for the time being. After the war, the 1954 Geneva conference failed to adopt a solution for a unified Korea. Beginning with Syngman Rhee, a series of oppressive autocratic governments took power in South Korea with American support and influence. The country eventually transitioned to become a market-oriented democracy in 1987 largely due to popular demand for reform, and became a developed economy by the 2000s. Due to the Soviet influence, North Korea established a communist government with a hereditary succession of leadership, with ties to China and Russia.
Activist No Su-hui, center, shouts “Long Live Reunification” in front of North Korean officials and soldiers, foreground, before crossing the demarcation line between North and South Korea where South Korean officials, at rear, were waiting for him, at the Demilitarized Zone at Panmunjom.
“While in the North I have felt that the North where the leader and the people form a harmonious whole will surely build a thriving nation thanks to political stability and strong economic potential,” Ro was quoted as saying on Tuesday by the North’s official KCNA news agency.
Have I mentioned I totally love where I’m going to college this year. And I kinda wish I could stay here forever.
(Finally getting around to posting some originals.)
