Don’t turn away from the Kanto massacre

Japan must be more honest in facing its dark past so that the two countries can walk towards the future as true partners.

A century has passed since the Great Kanto earthquake on Sept. 1, 1923, which led up to the massacre of ethnic Koreans living in Japan. More than 6,000 are estimated to have been killed, but the Japanese government has not yet officially acknowledged the cruelty it committed against thousands of Koreans 100 years ago.

According to various studies based on the testimonies of ethnic Koreans and conscientious Japanese, the massacre was committed in the wake of a 7.9-magnitude earthquake that rocked the densely populated eastern and northeastern region of Japan, including Tokyo. The imperial Japanese government issued a martial law to cope with social havoc after the disaster killed over 100,000 and wiped out homes for 2 million.

The Japanese government ordered police to be vigilant against Koreans collaborating with socialists to cause arson, terrorism and riots. After the order was reported by the media, rumors spread widely that Koreans had turned into rioters setting fire, poisoning water wells and attacking the Japanese. Japanese vigilante groups were formed to kill any Koreans in their communities. To distinguish Koreans from those wearing Japanese outfit, the vigilante bands forced them to pronounce difficult Japanese words — and killed them when they sounded unnatural. The Japanese police condoned the killings under the pretext of establishing order.

Tokyo has been in denial despite a number of vivid testimonies from eyewitnesses. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, the spokesperson representing the government, claimed that there were no records on the slaughter in government archives. The record of killing ethnic Koreans living in Kanto was omitted in a history textbook for third to sixth graders approved by the Japanese government.

Legislators of the two countries last week attended a memorial ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the massacre. A film on the dark history by a Japanese documentary film director was released in Japan on Friday. An international symposium was also held to shed light on the truth behind the tragedy.

In his addresses marking the March 1 Independence Day and the Aug. 15 Liberation Day, President Yoon Suk Yeol was reconciliatory towards Japan by recognizing the neighbor as the country’s partner for the future. His Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida amicably responded to the gesture to help mend the soured bilateral ties. For the friendly relationship to last, Tokyo must sincerely accept its past mistakes and apologize for its past involvement in the massacre. Japan must be more honest in facing its dark past so that the two countries can walk towards the future as true partners.