On October 20, 1943, the government of Japan-occupied Korea selected certain groups of male students in Korea, like liberal arts college students, to be targets of recruitment into the Japanese military, and it gave these students one month to voluntarily enlist. One day before the deadline, 30% of those students still had not voluntarily enlisted, so this edict was published in the Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) newspaper in Seoul on November 19, 1943 to push the remaining students to enlist, threatening them with "special training" under punitive conscription, and spewing death cult propaganda calling on them not to want life and not to fear death, and to obey and martyr themselves for the Emperor. There are mentions in this edict of the Bougainville campaign, which ultimately ended in defeat for Japan. In September 1944, Japanese government did follow through on their threat to implement punitive conscription, but the war ended before these punitive conscripts had a chance to enter the battlefield.
(my translation)
November 19, 1943 Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo)
Choose one of two paths
Don't carry the shame of being an unpatriotic student
One day left until the day of destiny
Whether it be glory or shame, the day of destiny that will forever determine the lives of students in the Korean peninsula is only one day away.
On October 20, the great path to military service, which had shone so brightly in the 3,000-year history of Imperial Japan, was stunningly extended to the students of the Korean Peninsula, after the honor was bestowed on the students in Japan proper. The martyrdom of the nation and the devotion to loyalty that sprang up in the hearts and minds of the Korean peninsula's students finally coalesced into a fervent volunteerism. They closed their books, threw away their pens, and changed their school uniforms into military uniforms. The melancholy students of the nation rising up with determination to destroy the ugly enemy, the United States and Britain, numbered six hundred and ninety. The dignified appearance of the students of the Korean peninsula, clicking their heels as they passed through the glorious military gate in the crucible of patriotism that burned through the Korean peninsula, was truly reassuring and powerful.
However, according to the reports of volunteers received by the Japanese Korean army from various schools in Korea by 3 p.m. on the 17th, the number of volunteers was less than 70% of the total number of qualified applicants. Although I dare not doubt your enthusiasm, this is definitely not a figure to be proud of. We firmly believe that in the remaining one day, all the students on the peninsula will finish volunteering themselves, and that not a single person will be left out.
Students, Governor Koiso has given you words of encouragement: "The Governor is convinced that all you students will go into battle". What strong words of compassion and trust in you! But your conscience surely shall not allow you to betray the spirit of the nation, which is unparalleled in the 3,000-year history of Imperial Japan, as you have been studying to find the truth in your academies.
However, as the Governor has pointed out, if any of you dare not volunteer for this honorable request of the nation, you are nothing but "unrighteous fake students" and "ingrates" who should be spat upon. Do you have the courage to take this stigma in stride? Do you have the courage to accept this stigma, to be branded as fake students, to be thrown into the waste basket of society as ingrates, and still have hope to live in this world?
Will you unintentionally miss this opportunity and remain outside of the battlefield, or will you intentionally put yourself in the battlefield? How will this turn out?
Students, your schools are about to be shut down. No matter how much you try to stay in your ivory towers and devote your youthful passions to the pursuit of truth, remember first that the means to do so are about to be lost. The academies have already gone into battle in accordance with the demands of the nation. In addition, for those students who do not volunteer, there is already a big order being prepared for national conscription. Moreover, this conscription is not a general conscription, but rather a training conscription especially for those who lack the qualifications to become imperial subjects. Are you willing to be branded as non-imperial subjects for not going to war? Certainly not, you must certainly be imperial subjects. Is there anything more humiliating than being a male student who has to undergo special training to become an imperial subject?
You must reconsider and reflect. The drums of determination are now sounding from the front lines of the south seas. The sound of the guns off Bougainville Island has struck our ears, and the smoke of the gunpowder has filled our nostrils, urging us to make a great resolve to ceaselessly shoot. The triumphant songs of victory off the coast of Bougainville Island have brought 100 million of us to the summit of excitement. The world's ears were astonished, and a brilliant glow was released on the history of world warfare. But what is hidden behind this great victory?
Under the great sovereign, what do we see in the precious heroes who do not fear death, who do not want to live, but obey and become pillars of the nation's defense, martyring themselves for their country with loyalty and fidelity? Behold the brave fighting and good planning of our soldiers just singlemindedly shooting the enemy without ceasing. What is more, the enemy, undeterred by fatal damage and insolent in its iron strength, is still biting down on our strategic battle line, and is relentlessly repeating a total counterattack. Look at the vigorous war spirit of the frenzied enemy. Look at the enemy's boundless war potential. As a nation of 100 million people, who can fail to be inspired by this pathetically brutal battlefield?
Students, the decisive battle continues. At this time, at this moment, beyond the south seas, the bloody battle between our two countries is being repeated to the death. It is we, young men, who will follow the heroic spirits to the front lines of battle. We will brandish our swords and take our guns to pierce the enemy. There is no other way to describe the true spirit of Japanese men.
Students of the Korean peninsula, rise up now. The time has come for you to stand up against the enemy. The nation waits for you to rise up, and the people pray for your determination. The whole peninsula and the mountains and rivers are waiting for you.
Students, will you conquer and make the glory of the Korean peninsula, which is entrusted to you, shine even brighter? Or will you drop out of the line of fire and die in the shame of being a non-imperial subject? Choose one of two paths. The day of destiny is only one day away. Students, reflect! Students, reconsider!
(my transcription into modern Japanese orthography with punctuation marks modified and added for clarity)
Source: https://archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-11-19
昭和十八年十一月十九日 京城日報
途は二つにして一つ
非国民の恥を貽すな
運命の日はあと一日
栄光か、恥辱か、半島学徒の一生を永劫に決すべき運命の日はあと一日に迫った。
十月廿日、皇国三千年の歴史に燦として輝く兵への大道は、内地学徒への栄誉に引きつづき半島学徒の前にも豁然として拓けた爾来三旬。勃然として半島学徒の全身全霊に湧き立った殉国尽忠の至誠は遂に凝結して熱血の志願となり、書を閉じ、筆を捨て制服を戎衣に替えて、醜敵米英撃滅の決意に蹶然奮起せる憂国の学徒既に六百九十、なお全半島をあげてたぎる愛国の坩堝の中に栄えある兵門を潜らんとするもの踵を接せる戦う半島の凛然たる姿こそ、洵に頼母しくも力強き限りである。
然しながら、朝鮮軍が十七日午後三時まで接受した鮮内各学園からの志願者報告によれば、その志願者数は適格者の七割に満たざるという、敢えて諸君の熱量を疑うるものではないが、断じてこの数字は誇り得べき数字ではない。われらは残されたあと一日に、全半島学徒あげての志願を終了、一人の落伍者も出さざることを固く信じて疑わない。
諸君、小磯総督は何と諸君に激励の言葉を与えたが『総督は全学徒の出陣を確信する』と、何と諸君を信頼することの強き慈愛の言葉であろうが、学園にあって真理の探求に研鑽し、皇国三千年の歴史に万邦無比の国体の精華を裏切ることは諸君の良心が許さぬ筈である。
然り、総督の喝破指摘せる如く、若しこの光栄ある国家の要請に対して敢えて志願せざるものありとすれば、それは『非道義的偽学生』であり、唾棄すべき『忘恩の徒』にほかならぬのである。諸君はこの汚名を甘んじて享けんとする勇気があるか。偽学生としての烙印を捺され、忘恩の徒として社会の屑籠に放り込まれ、尚且現世に生きんとする希望を果して諸君は持つことができるか。
若し不用意にも、この好機を逸して銃後に残り、若くは故意に征かざらんとを欲して銃後の人たらんとするものありとすれば、この結果、果して如何。
諸君、諸君の学園は既に停止されんとしているのだ。諸君が如何に象牙の塔にたてこもり、真理の追求に若き情熱を傾けんとしても、その術はも早や失われんとしていることを先ず想え。学園そのものが既に国家の要請に従って決戦場裡に出陣しているのである。また、志願せざる学徒に対しては、国民徴用の大号令が既に用意されている。しかもその徴用は一般的の徴用ではない。皇国民としての資格なお足らざるものとしての錬成徴用である。諸君は征かずして、なお非皇国民としての烙印を捺されてよいのか。否、断じて諸君は皇国民であるはずだ。今にしてなお皇国民たり得る錬成を受けるー男子学徒としての恥辱これに過ぐるものがあろうか。
諸君再思三省せよ。決意を促す陣太鼓がいま南海の第一線より鳴り響いて来る。ブーゲンビル島沖の砲声はわれらの耳朶をうち、硝煙はわれらの鼻腔にむせんで、撃ちてし止まむの大決意を促して止まない、ブーゲンビル島沖に相次ぐ勝利の凱歌はわれら一億をして感激の頂上に押しあげ、世界の耳目を驚倒せしめ、赫々の光芒を世界戦史の上に放つ、然しこの大勝利の陰に何が秘められているであろうか。
大君の下、死を恐れず、生を欲せず、従容として護国の人柱となって散華する尊き英霊を何と見る誠忠殉国、ただ一念仇敵を撃たずば已まざるわが将兵の勇戦善謀を見よ。しかも、敵は致命の損害をも物ともせず、その鉄量を悖んで、なおもわが戦略線に喰い下り、執拗にも総反攻を繰返して来るではないか。狂える敵の旺盛なる戦意を見よ。もだゆる敵の無限の戦力を見よ。一億国民たる者、この凄愴苛烈なる戦局を前にして誰か感奮興起せざるものあらん。
諸君、決戦は続く。この時、この瞬間にも、南海の彼方には彼我の血戦死闘が繰り返されているのだ。今ぞ征かん決戦場へ、英霊につづき第一線将兵に従うものこそ、われら若人青年である。剣を翳し、銃を執って敵を刺す。日本男子の本懐これに過ぐるものはない。
半島学徒諸君。今こそ起きて。一億総蹶起の秋は来た。国家は諸君の蹶起を待ち、国民は諸君の決意を祈る。半島またこの山河をあげて諸君に待望する。
諸君、諸君は征きて諸君に託されたる半島の栄光を一段と光彩あらしめるか。戦列の外に脱落して、自ら非皇国民の恥辱に死するか。途は二つにして一つ、運命の日はあと一日、反省せよ学徒、三思せよ諸君！
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