Showing posts with label Daily Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Daily Life. Show all posts

Sunday, April 14, 2024

Niece of Korean collaborator nobleman Yoon Deok-yeong (윤덕영, 尹徳栄) was featured in 1939 article declaring ‘I really want to marry a Japanese man’ and adopting the Japanese surname ‘Izu’ to improve her marriage prospects

The following article from 1939 features a young 21-year-old Korean woman celebrating her newly given ability to change her surname to a Japanese one so that she can find a Japanese husband more easily. 

Miss Yoon Hee-yeong smiling as she reads about the November 1939 decree in the Keijo Nippo Newspaper.

This story was presumably published to encourage Koreans to adopt Japanese last names in the wake of a November 1939 ordinance that was issued to require the creation of Japanese family names for all Koreans.

This young Korean woman was not just any woman, but the niece of a prominent Korean nobleman, Yoon Deok-yeong (윤덕영, 尹徳栄), who is widely reviled in Korea today as a pro-Japanese collaborator. Even being a distant relative of the prominent nobleman appeared to confer advantages for her, since she was able to find employment at Sanseido, a renowned publishing company known for its dictionaries.

Published in Keijo Nippo, the colonial newspaper and official mouthpiece of the Imperial Japanese government that ruled Korea from 1905 to 1945, one propaganda purpose of this article was probably to encourage Korean women to adopt Japanese surnames by enticing them with the prospect of attracting Japanese men more easily. Another propaganda purpose was probably to encourage Japanese men to consider marrying Korean women, as a part of the overall Japanese-Korean Unification (naisen ittai, 内鮮一体) policy of Imperial Japan.

[Translation]

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) November 14, 1939

A hopeful start toward the unification of the "family system" [4]

"I really want to marry a Japanese man," says Miss Yoon, relieved from her worries

"It is quite absurd to have two surnames within the same country. Having two surnames naturally divides people, doesn't it? The Japanese language is used as the standard language, while the Korean language is only for home use. Furthermore, Korean is just a local language understood only by people like my parents who don't know the standard language."

Miss Yoon Hee-yeong (윤희영, 尹嬉栄) lives in 2-47 Gye-dong, Seoul, and she is a 21-year-old employee of Sanseido Seoul branch. She continues with glistening eyes:

"If any man comes and spends time in Korea for a year or two, he would understand the merits of Korean women. However, Japanese men judge women merely for having surnames like 'Yoon' or 'Lee', failing to see the goodness within those names."

"It's wrong to dislike someone just based on labels," Miss Yoon argued, her eyes widening slightly. Miss Yoon was born in Gye-dong, Seoul, as the eldest daughter of Yoon Byeong-gu (윤병구, 尹丙求), who is the brother of the great nobleman Yoon Deok-yeong (윤덕영, 尹徳栄). After graduating with honors from Gyeonggi Girls' High School in March 1937, she helped with household chores, sewing, and flower arrangement for about a year.

But she realized that it was hard to get a real-world education unless she went out into the streets. Bravely deciding to join the women's professional front, she started working as a clerk at a branch of Sanseido in Hasegawa-chō (present-day Sogong-ro) in Seoul last December.

On the 31st of last month, even when her colleague Kenjirō Yamamuro (27 years old) was honored with military deployment, Miss Yoon stayed up late at the entrance of Honmachi District, sewing a Sen'ninbari amulet, which deeply moved Mr. Yamamuro.

"Instead of saying that Miss Yoon sent the Sen'ninbari amulet, doesn't it sound more pleasing to the ear with better rhythm if you say that Miss Izu sent the amulet?" Miss Yoon explained. She had never thought about marriage during her school days, but now she feels that it is not a bad time to start considering it at her age. Lately, she occasionally dreams of the future. However, her beautiful dreams had always been marred by the impossibility of changing her surname to a Japanese one.

"If I am really permitted to do so, I'd like to marry a Japanese man … but with my current surname, it's tough," Miss Yoon repeatedly contemplates and agonizes. However, a groundbreaking decree that instantly alleviated the worries of a generation of young women across the Korean peninsula was finally issued. Holding the evening edition of the Keijo Nippo Newspaper from the 9th, Miss Yoon began to worry again while, at the same time, she suppressed the excitement in her chest. Her two cheerful worries were about how to persuade her father and what Japanese surname to choose, leading to her delightful worries about marriage.

[Photo caption: Miss Yoon pondering her cheerful worries]

[Transcription]

京城日報 1939年11月14日

”家族制度”一体へ希望の門出(四)

”妾ほんとは内地の方と結婚したいのですが”

悩みを解消した尹さん

いくら考えて見ても同じ国の人に名字が二通りあると云うことは可笑しいですわ。名字が二通りもあるから自然色別けがつくのではありませんか。内地語は標準語で朝鮮語は家庭だけに、しかもね、標準語を知らないお父さんやお母さんだけに通用する地方語ですもの。

京城桂洞町2の47、三省堂京城出張所員尹嬉栄さん(21)はうるんだ瞳を輝かしながら、つづけるのである。

朝鮮に来ていて一、二年経った人なら半島女性の良さも解って呉れるのですが、内地におる方等は名字が「尹」や「李」であるだけで、もうその「尹」や「李」のうちにある良さを見だそうとしないのですわ。

レッテルだけ見て喰わず嫌いになるのはレッテルがいけないのですわ。尹さんはややムキになって細い目尻を大きくした。尹さんは京城桂洞町で朝鮮の名門尹徳栄子爵の遠縁(叔父さんに当たる)尹丙求氏の長女として生れた。昭和十二年三月、京畿高女を優秀な成績で卒業すると一年間ばかり家事の手伝いやお裁縫やお花の稽古をした。

しかし実社会の生きた教育は街頭に出なければ分からない。ここで勇ましくも婦人職業戦線へと意を決し昨年十二月府内長谷川町の三省堂出張所へ事務員として働くことになったのである。

去る三十一日、同僚山室健二郎君(27)が名誉の出征をした時でも夜遅くまで本町入口に立って千人針を縫って山室君を感激させたこともある。

「あの千人針にしても尹が贈ったんじゃなく、例えば伊豆が贈ったといえば耳に聞こえるリズムもよくはありません?」尹さんは説明する。女学校時代には未だ結婚のことなど考えたことがなかったが、もうそろそろ考えても悪くない年になって来た。この頃は時々未来の夢を描いて見ることがある。しかし、何時も麗しい夢を展ずのは内地式に名字は変えられないかということ、これだけであった。

「私、ほんとうに許して呉れるのなら内地の方と...、名字がこれではね」

尹さんは何べんも考えては悶えるのだった。しかし全半島の若い世代を代表する女性達の悩みを一挙に消し飛ばした爆弾制令は遂に発布された。九日京日夕刊を手にした尹さんは躍る胸を押さえながら、またも悩み出したのである。二つの朗らかな悩みを、一つはお父さんを何と口説こうかということと、他の一つは何という内地姓にするかという、悩みを、それは結婚への楽しい悩みにつながるのだが...【写真=朗らかな悩みを悩む尹さん】

Source: https://archive.org/details/kjnp-1939-11-14/page/n12/mode/1up

Saturday, December 16, 2023

American soldiers meeting local women and shopping for flowers and dolls in Seoul and Incheon, providing trucks to Patriotic Groups to clean the streets (September 21-22, 1945)

These photos are from pages of the Keijo Nippo newspaper that I stumbled upon during my visit to the National Library of Korea a few months ago. Taken on September 21 and 22, 1945, just days after the U.S. military arrived in Korea on September 8th, they show American soldiers enjoying their free time meeting local women and patronizing local business in the Seoul-Incheon region. The captioning of the American soldiers with local women as "American Soldiers with Children" is rather odd. My theory is that the news editors did this to cleverly get around US military censorship by using euphemisms.

I also translated an adjacent article about a Patriotic Group cleaning the streets around the Hantō Hotel (now Lotte Hotel Seoul) and the former Mitsui & Co. building (now the Seoul Metropolitan Council) across the street from the hotel. The Patriotic Group was a colonial-era neighborhood cell that enforced strict Imperial Japanese regime control over every aspect of the lives of the colonized Korean people as the lowest level governance unit under the direct control of the party, and later the military, but in the post-liberation era, it has become just a regular neighborhood association handling local issues. There was also an interview with the US military government about the freedom of assembly.

The article about the Japanese dolls mentions that a U.S. soldier recognized one of the Gogatsu Ningyō (May festival dolls) as the likeness of Benkei, a medieval warrior monk who was famed for dying while standing as he was riddled with arrows. Benkei would not have been that well known among Americans at this time, so I'm guessing that this particular U.S. soldier must have been quite the rare Japanophile whom we would call a 'weaboo' today.

[Translation]

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) September 21, 1945

American Soldiers with Children and Dolls

Getting Along Together in the Streets

Children and soldiers. Indeed, there are no national borders hindering the flow of such emotions. The friendship seen between American soldiers and children in the streets, or in workplaces where American soldiers are present, transcends language and customs, and brings warmth to our hearts. The innocent gestures of children must be a great comfort to the homesickness of the American soldiers who have come across the sea. They indeed adore children.

The other day, when three American military officers visited the head office of this newspaper on official business, a child was instructed to offer tea to the guests. Worriedly, the child handed a teacup to the officer, who then, taking it, patted the child's head and said "Oh, thank you" in broken Japanese. The child's eyes sparkled with joy, exclaiming, "That uncle said thank you!" and laughed happily.

Near the American military barracks, the smiles of children playing around the American soldiers brighten the autumn sky like flowers. They play games like train and tag, holding hands in a circle, imitating the songs hummed by the American soldiers. When tired, they are lifted onto trucks, playfully pushing the clouds in the sky.

No matter how the winds of reality blow, the world of the children is always cheerful, and the bond between "the children and the soldiers" grows deeper and warmer day by day.

[Incheon] "Oh, what a lovely doll"… An American soldier was enthralled by the Gogatsu Ningyō (May festival dolls), contemplating them as gifts for folks back home. Doll shops in the city, welcoming such guests, are unusually busy with their displays of these May festival dolls. Soldiers walking through the streets with dolls in their arms, talking cheerfully in accented voices about "Geisha girls" and "Benkei", bring smiles to the faces of townspeople. The city brightens with the bustling doll shops. [Photos: Above - American soldiers and the children holding hands and playing, Below - American soldiers buying dolls in the city]

Assemblies and Processions: All Permitted

US Military Landings to be Reported Immediately

On September 20, the US military government responded to supplementary questions from the press corps about the US military's landing and assemblies as follows:

Q: General Hodge recently mentioned the US military's landing at Busan. Will the US military government make any announcements regarding this?

A: The landing will be reported immediately once it actually occurs. This applies to any location within the areas in Korea occupied by the US military.

Q: Are there any additional details about the US military police's orders regarding processions and assemblies? Do these orders apply to assemblies other than political rallies and processions?

A: They apply to all assemblies. The term "public" is emphasized. However, a gathering of two or three friends at home or on the street is, of course, not considered an assembly.

In Cooperation with American Soldiers

Cleaning Effort by the Patriotic Group of 1-Kōgane-machi

On September 19th, every Patriotic Group member in 1-Kōgane-machi Town Association started their cleaning effort at 9:30 AM, collecting rubbish and cleaning both sides of the main road and the open land (the rundown former site of incineration of printed materials) near the Hantō Hotel and the former Mitsui & Co. building, where US soldiers are stationed. The unsightly view was something even the American soldiers turned their faces away from. This cleaning effort, a voluntary service by the town's residents, was also supported in gratitude by the US military, which provided trucks for transportation.

The American soldiers are extremely health-conscious, paying meticulous attention to food and cleanliness. Therefore, residents should make an effort to keep the city clean.

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) September 22, 1945

Flowers and American Soldiers

"Oh, beautiful"… Like butterflies frolicking among flowers, American soldiers, allowed to tour the city for the first time in a long time since their stationing in the Seoul-Incheon region, spread their wings like birds released from a cage, seeking joy in various places in Seoul. At a florist on Honmachi Street, the charming and fragrant flowers in full bloom brought them much delight. The soldiers holding flowers, flowers, flowers, brought smiles to the faces of passersby, brightening the city. [Photo: American soldiers seeking flowers]

[Transcription]

京城日報 1945年9月21日

米兵と子供と人形

街に見る仲よしぶり

子供と兵隊。こうした感情の流れにはやはり国境がない。街に見る米兵と子供たちとのしたしみ、或はまた米兵の居る職場などでの、言葉や風俗を超えた彼等の仲よしぶりが思うこと多いわれわれの心を和らげてくれる。

海を超えて来た米兵たちの郷愁にも、子供たちのあどけないしぐさは大きななぐさめとなるのであろう。彼等は実によく子供を可愛がる。

先日、米軍の士官が三人用務で本社へやって来たとき、子供にお茶を上げるようにと言いつけたところ、『お茶のむかしら』と心配しながら子供の差し出す湯呑を手にとった一人の士官が『オオアリガト』と、片言の日本語で言いながら子供の頭を撫でてやった。子供はきらきらと眼をかがやかせて、『おじちゃん、ありがとうって言ったよ』とうれしそうに笑った。

米軍宿舎のあるほとりでは、米兵を囲んでたわむれる子供達の笑顔が、秋空をかざる花のように明るい。電車ごっこ、鬼ごっこ、手をとり合って輪になりながら、米兵の口ずさむ歌を真似る子供たち。つかれればトラックの上に抱き上げてもらって、空を飛ぶ雲を押してはしゃぐ彼等だ。

現実の風がどのように吹こうとも、子供たちの世界はいつもほがらかである。そして『子供と兵隊』のむすびつきもまた、日ましに深くあたたかくなって行くのである。

【仁川】『おー可愛らしい人形だ』...本国へのプレゼントにと五月人形に恍惚として見取れる米国の兵隊さん。このお客さんを迎えた府内の各人形屋は時ならぬ時期に五月人形の陳列に大勢街行く将兵は人形を抱え乍ら『ゲイシャガール』、『ベンケイ』とアクセントのある声で和かに語りながら歩き、街の人々は笑顔で見送り、人形屋の大繁昌と共に街は明朗色を増している。写真:(上)手をとり合って遊ぶ米兵と子供(下)街に人形を買う米兵

集合行列:許可総て適用

米軍上陸は直ちに報道

米軍政府当局は二十日の記者団との会見で米軍の進駐及び集会に関する記者団の補足的質問に対し次のように答えた。

問:ハッジ中将は先日米軍の釜山上陸について言及したが、これにつき米軍政当局は何らかの報道をなさぬか?

答:実際に上陸がなされたときは直ちに報道する。これは鮮内米軍占領地域に上陸した場合は何れの地点における場合も同じである。

問:行列、集会に関する米軍憲兵の命令につき補足するところはないか、この命令は政治的集会、行列以外のものにも適用されるのか?

答:総ての集会に適用される。公共的という言葉は強調されている。但し二三人の友人が家庭或は街頭に集るなどのことは勿論集会とはいえない。

米軍も協力して

黄金町一 愛国班の清掃奉仕

黄金町一丁目町会では十九日朝九時半から各班員が出動し、半島ホテル脇の空地(文藝類を焼却した乱雑の箇所)や大道路両側など紙屑や塵埃を取り片付けに労力奉仕をしたが、ここは半島ホテル、三井物産跡など米軍が駐屯しているので、その見苦しさに米軍将兵も顔をそむけていたものだった。この清掃は町会有志の自発的奉仕でもあるが、米軍側でも感謝の意味で軍のトラックを提供して運搬したほどだ。

米軍の将兵たちはトコトンまで衛生観念が発達しているので、食物に対する細心の注意は勿論のこと、何事にも綺麗好きだから府民は挙って街の清掃に努めることである。

京城日報 1945年9月22日

花と米兵

『オー、ビューティフル』...まるで花にたわむれる蝶のように、京仁地方に進駐以来、久し振りに府内の観光を許されたべ軍将兵達は、檻から放たれた小鳥のように翼をのばし、悦びの心の糧を求めて京城府内を思い思いの場所に。本町通のある花屋には今を盛りと咲き薫る可憐な草花が彼等にどれだけ悦びを与えたであろうか。彼等の胸に抱かれる花花花、道行く人々も歩を止めて、この微笑ましき情景に街は明るい。【写真=花をもとめる米兵達】

Wednesday, December 6, 2023

August 28, 1945: Colonial regime announces a peaceful transition of power to the new incoming Korean government, reopens comfort women services, department stores, cafés in Seoul as popular uprising subsides, plans orderly repatriation of Japanese residents

This is another fascinating historical article that I stumbled upon during my visit to the National Library of Korea a few months ago. This is a news announcement made on August 28, 1945 announcing an orderly, peaceful transition of power just 13 days after Imperial Japan surrendered on August 15, 1945. In the initial few days after August 15th, the military authorities were at the forefront making defiant announcements in the face of a massive Korean popular uprising, but for the first time since Imperial Japan's surrender, a civilian leader, Mr. Konishi Haruo, has come forward to address the nation in a sober, conciliatory address emptied of the usual Imperialist bravado, to provide a blueprint for a peaceful transition of power to the new Korean state and the repatriation of Japanese residents back to Japan.

Mr. Konishi's address, photo taken at the National Library of Korea

Mr. Konishi was a 66-year-old mining executive at Meiji Mining who came from a respectable Samurai family in Fukuoka prefecture. He had a distinguished career at various banks, treasuries, and chambers of commerce in Korea and Manchuria. There had always been tensions between civilian and military authorities in colonial Korea, but it seems that, in this moment, the military people have retreated into the background and the civilian leaders like Mr. Konishi have gained the upper hand.

Konishi calls upon Japanese residents in Korea to act responsibly, contributing positively to both their homeland and the new independent Korean state. He is confident that the rights of Japanese residents will be respected in a new humanitarian and civilized Korean state. He also touches on the practicalities of repatriation, like the handling of properties and belongings by trust companies and warehouses, and the limitations of transport capacity for returning all Japanese residents within the year. Konishi concludes by emphasizing the achievements of Japanese governance in Korea, such as infrastructure and financial systems, and expresses hope for a respectful and responsible transition period.

In the usual fashion, the editors at Keijo Nippo places positive, upbeat news articles adjacent to dark, serious news articles. This time, the 'positive' articles are about the reopening of 'high-end entertainment establishments' like restaurants, cafes, and comfort women services (kisaeng). This may have been a goodwill gesture by the colonial authorities to appease the angry populace and relieve social tensions ahead of the peaceful handover of power. For days after August 15, the civil unrest was apparently so intense that shops couldn't open, but by August 27, the unrest had died down enough for shops to cautiously reopen, but there were still apparently not many shoppers who dared to ventured out to go shopping.

Note: These were challenging articles to decipher because of the poor state of preservation of the newsprint. There was a small section of the text that I just couldn't make out, so I indicated this with ellipses. Sorry that I forgot to take a picture of the accompanying grainy news photo of shoppers gathered around a stall in a department store.

[Translation]

Gyeongseong (Keijo Nippo) August 28, 1945

On the Issue of Repatriation

By Haruo Konishi

August 15th. What is more to say about that day? However, what has been the state of Seoul, the capital of all Korea, in this past week? There are countless things that are truly lamentable. Do not panic! It is extremely important for us, as citizens of a great nation, to maintain our composure. But who were the very first ones to panic? Who were the ones to cause this chaos? Now is not the time to delve into that.

In this grave crisis, the responsibilities of the Governor-General's office are indeed significant. How should they guide the 26 million people of the Korean peninsula? What should be done about the 1.2 million mainland Japanese residents in Korea? Maintaining public order and securing transportation and communication are absolutely crucial. Even if the transfer of power to the newly emerging state and its new government occurs peacefully, things like sorting office documents, clearing desks and shelves, and arranging for the handing over of lodgings are of least importance. The transfer of the city is often talked about in dramatic tales, but the transfer of the Governor-General's rule is not just a matter of formality. There are much bigger issues at hand. I understand that the authorities are making great efforts, but they must not get things backwards.

In the future, it won't be easy to simply dispose of the businesses, homes, and properties that over 1.2 million mainland Japanese residents in Korea have painstakingly developed over the past three to four decades.

On the other hand, what is the situation in our motherland? What about the food and population problem? The unemployment situation? The war victims? What if people from China, Manchuria, Korea, Taiwan, Sakhalin, and the South Pacific all repatriate to mainland Japan at once? There would likely be unimaginable difficulties. In addition to the country's existing hardships…

…the Japanese people were supposed to, under the grand vision of the Emperor, play a key role in peace and contribute to cultural development by expanding overseas. But what should have been a matter of concern was if this, instead, led back to domestic repercussions, inevitably leading to a path of further misery.

In this sense, I believe there are many points we need to learn and adopt broadly. From this perspective, the mainland Japanese residents in Korea should hold their ground to the utmost extent, contributing not only to our motherland but also to the newly emerging state.

Various national policies will be established and implemented in the new state. However, the new state will undoubtedly be a civilized and humanitarian one, adhering to international standards of humanity, and not a barbaric state. Therefore, I firmly believe that there is absolutely no concern that the private rights of mainland Japanese residents in Korea will be unreasonably confiscated, trampled upon, or plundered. With this understanding and insight, I have been advising people around me not to panic, but to calmly observe and handle the transition. A few days ago, I read former Seoul University Professor Yasuda's opinion in the Keijo Nippo newspaper and largely agreed with him, but I hope those in power will guide the people well. The Japanese people of Northern Korea repatriated in a state of confusion because Northern Korea became a battleground due to the Soviet Union's offensive. This is completely different from the situation of the Japanese people in Seoul repatriating to mainland Japan.

The real estate properties of the repatriating people will be taken care of by a certain trust company, and their belongings will be stored in a certain warehouse. This is indeed commendable. However, this sounds to the people like they are being forced to hurry and repatriate. With this view in mind, they should be guided to stay and devote themselves to their livelihoods, showing great ambition and spirit, as it will likely be impossible to complete all repatriations within this year with the current transportation capacity.

Even if the Governor-General's office is abolished, its residual duties must be managed, and some of them will likely be inherited by a future embassy or legation. It goes without saying that financial institutions and transportation and communication facilities must hold their ground until the end, ensuring as smooth as possible a transition of power, not just leaving things to "fate".

There were considerable achievements during the Governor-General's rule in terms of roads, ports, electricity, transportation, water resources, finance, etc. A certain Korean scholar said that it probably would have taken more than 200 years for the Korean people alone to achieve this much. Now is the most crucial time. This autumn is the time for us all to exercise self-restraint. (The writer is the Managing Director of Meiji Mining)

Towards a Brighter, Leisure-Focused Society

Relaxation of Restrictions on High-End Leisure Activities

Aiming for a return to a brighter society and life, the government is currently studying the removal of various restrictions imposed as wartime measures. As an immediate step, the full-scale lifting of the ban on high-end leisure activities, which was part of the "Decisive Battle Emergency Measures" implemented in March last year and further extended for a year this March, has been decided. Consequently, not only the opening of restaurants and cafés but also the employment of female entertainers and kisaeng is now permitted. Furthermore, authorities are also advancing their research on potentially freeing up special leisure sectors such as dance halls and cabarets depending on the situation.

Department Stores Struggle with Decline in Customer Foot Traffic

Reopening Since Yesterday

Since that day, various department stores had been completely closed, but they reopened their doors from August 27th. However, due to a lack of merchandise, the situation is such that, conversely, black markets have emerged in the city offering almost everything at high prices. Consequently, domestic department stores like Mitsukoshi, Chōjiya, and Minakai had fewer customers than expected on their long-awaited reopening, especially in food and textile sections which remained quiet. Only a few Western goods, cosmetics, and general merchandise were being sold to some extent.

Mitsukoshi, for instance, had been holding a swap meet for unnecessary items since the beginning of the month, which was suspended on August 16th, and exchanges were halted. But from August 27th, the retrieval of items resumed. As for the purchases of furniture and household goods of repatriating people by various department stores, which are reportedly to be organized by a certain mainland Japanese welfare association, there is no official word yet, so people are slowly bringing in items.

According to observations from various stores, there might be fewer items for sale now since so many were sold off at once previously, and the situation in the surrounding areas has somewhat stabilized, suggesting that there may not be a need to rush into selling. This could be why there are surprisingly few items up for sale. [Photo = At a certain department store]

[Transcription]

京城日報 1945年8月28日

引き揚げ問題に就いて

小西春雄

八月十五日。もう何もいう事はないのである。併し此一週間に於ける全鮮就中主都たる京城の様相はどうだ。真に浩嘆に耐えぬ事が夥しい。周章狼狽するな。大国民たるの襟度を保てと尤も千万である。だが抑も誰が一番先きに慌てたか。誰が周章狼狽せしめたか。今敢えて詮議立てはせぬ。

此の大難局に際し総督府の責務は実に大きい。半島二千六百万の民衆を如何に指導すべき乎、在鮮百二十万の内地人を如何に措置すべきか。而して治安の維持と交通通信の確保が絶対に把握されねばならぬ。軈て生れ出る新国家。やがて樹立さるる新政府との間に平和裡に接収と引き渡しとが行われるにしても、官庁の書類の整理や戸棚や机の取片付けや、宿舎明け渡しの手配の如きは末の末である。城の引き渡しは浪花節でもよく語る。併し総督政治の明け渡しは、ソンナ形式的の事ではない。もっともっと大きな問題がある。当局に於いては嘸かし御苦心の事と察するが、断じて本来顛倒はゆるされぬのである。

今後は在鮮百余万の内地人が此三、四十年間に苦心惨憺を据えて、夫々の生業に従事し来った結晶ともいうべき事業や家産や財産は、短時間に簡単に処理の出来る筈のものでない。

翻って母国の状態は如何。食糧人口の問題は如何。失業状態は如何。戦災者は如何。支那、満州、朝鮮、台湾、樺太、南洋各地から内地へ一度に引き揚げて来たならば如何。蓋し想い半に過ぐるものがあろう。国歩困難の上に更に...

...国民は、大御心の下に平和の鍵役として文化発展の為に貢献すべく海外各地に進出すべきでこそある。憂惧すべきでこそあるそれが逆に内地に帰結する様ではさらに悲惨の一路を辿る外あるまい。

其の意味で吾は今後寛闊に学ぶべき点が多々あると思う。其の観点からするも在鮮の内地人諸君は何処迄も踏み止って、母国の為に、将に新国家の為更に貢献する處なくてならぬ。

新国家では色々の国策が樹立され施行せられよう。併し新国家は立派な文明的の国家たるに相違ない。人道的の国家で天下の人道を基準とするもので、野蛮国家でない事に一抹の疑念もない。従って在鮮の内地人の私権が理不尽に没収され、蹂躙され、又は掠奪さるる如き懸念は絶対にあり得ないと確信する。余は此見解と見透しの下に身辺の人々に慌てるな、落ち着いて推移を静観善処せよと説いて居る。数日前、元城大安田教授の御意見を京日紙上で拝見し大体に於いて同感したが、更に権力ある方々からよく民衆を指導して戴きたい。北鮮の人々が右往左往して引き揚げたのは、ソ聯の進攻で北鮮が戦場となったからで、京城人が内地へ引き揚げるのとは全然筋合いが違う。

引き揚げ者の不動産は某信託会社で世話する。又荷物は某倉庫で保管するという。誠に結構である。併し之等が民衆には引き揚げろ引き揚げろと響く。斯く斯くの見渡しであるから安心して踏止って生業に勤め、大器雄心を発揮せよと指導して行くげきであり、現在の輸送力でも今年一ぱいでは到底全部の引き揚げは不可能であろう。

総督府は撤廃となっても残務は処理さるべく、且つ其の一部は将来大使館なり公使館なりに継承されるであろう。金融機関や交通通信機関が最後迄踏み止るのは勿論、新国家をして其の昨日を困難ならしむることなく『あとは野となれ山となれ』ではなく出来るだけ円滑に政権の推移が遂行する様にありたい。

総督政治に於ける道路、港湾、電力、交通、水利、金融等々の治績は相当のものがある。或る半島の識者は、半島人のみの手では二百年かかっても之だけの事業は恐らく出来まいと洩らしていた。今やその最後の一番大事な時である。お互いに自重すべき秋である。(筆者は明治鉱業専務)

明るい享楽面へ

高級享楽停止を解除

明るい社会、明るい生活への復帰をめざし、本府では戦時措置としての種々の制限撤廃を研究中であるが、差し当たり昨年三月実施本年三月さらに一ヶ年延長された『決戦非常措置要綱』中の高級享楽停止を全面的に解除することになった。従って料理屋、カフェーの開店は勿論、芸妓、妓生などの就業も許可されるわけであるが、当局ではさらに場合によってはダンスホール、キャバレー等特殊享楽部面の解放についても研究を進めている。

客足渋る百貨店

きのうから再び店開き

あの日以来すっかり店を休んでいた各百貨店は二十七日から再び蓋を開けたが、何しろ商品のない折柄ではあり、逆に街には闇市場が出て高値さえ承知ならこちらには殆どないものがないという有様なので中止の内地側百貨店は三越も丁子屋も三中井も久し振りの開店の割には客が少なく、特に食料品や繊維製品売場は閑散で、わずかに洋品雑貨、化粧品、荒物類が淋しく売れていく程度である。

三越など月初めから不用品の交換会が行われていたのが十六日で休業となり、交換も中断の形だったが、二十七日からは出品の引き取りが始まったという程度。例の内地人世話会が肝煎りで行うという各百貨店での引揚者の家具家財の買上も正式の話がまだないので、ぼつぼつ持って来る人があるという程度。

何処の店の観測でも一時にあんなにドッと売出したから今更売りに出す人も少ないだろうし、まだ四囲の情勢も落ちついて来たため、更慌てて売りに出さなくてもいいという様な見透しから案外出品は少ないのじゃないかと見ている。【写真=某百貨店にて】











Wednesday, October 11, 2023

Korea in November 1945 was beset by rampant inflation, which the Koreans editors of newly liberated Keijo Nippo blamed on ‘Korean traitors’ and departing Japanese who liquidated their property and spent cash ‘indulging in lavish eating and wastefulness’

In my recent trip to Seoul, I visited the National Library of Korea and took many photos of pages from the Keijo Nippo newspaper, which was originally established as the official propaganda mouthpiece for the Imperial Japanese colonial regime, which ruled Korea from 1905 to 1945. Around November 1, 1945, a transformative change occurred: the newspaper was taken over by pro-independence Korean employees, shifting its editorial stance drastically and turning it into a platform for Korean liberation.

One of my interesting finds was this editorial article from November 5, 1945, written by Korean writers describing the rampant inflation that was occurring in Korea at the time under U.S. military occupation, newly liberated from Imperial Japanese colonial rule. The Korean editors appeared to blame the inflation squarely on departing Japanese residents who were liquidating their property into cash and lavishly spending it before returning to Japan, and also certain ethnic Koreans who were helping the Japanese residents by buying their property from them. It seems that, like in post-war Japan, there was a sort of euphoric atmosphere in post-war Korea for certain affluent people who had the means to party and have fun, anxious to forget the suffering and privations of war.

The Korean anger and resentment against the colonial regime and the Japanese people are very palpable in the article, as well as the writers' hostility against 'ethnic Korean traitors', or pro-Japanese Koreans who are described as only interested in personal profit as they shift their allegiance from the Japanese to the Americans. We can also see the reverence that the writers held for the 'sacred U.S. military'.

We can also see the Koreanized Japanese that the writers use, writing '日人' instead of '日本人' for Japanese, and writing '親美' instead of '親米' for pro-American, but they don't seem to be consistent with this shift, since both forms are used in the article.

[Translation]

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) November 5, 1945

The Villains Behind the Inflation

The Japanese Must Leave

The Removal of Ethnic Korean Traitors Pretending to be Pro-American is Also an Urgent Priority

During the era of Japanese Imperialism when corrupt governance was the norm, our 30 million compatriots were exploited through coercive collections and transactions by the Governor-General's Office and other institutions, leading to economic controls and fixed pricing systems. These measures were said to be abolished after October 20th of this year. When the U.S. Military Government issued General Directive No. 2, it encouraged trade and production, aiming for a free market economy in Korea to decrease commodity prices, and it put its efforts into bringing previously sidelined goods back into the marketplace. As evidence of the Korean people's own trust in the U.S. Military Government, it was stated the previous day by the U.S. Military Government that bank deposits and postal savings had increased by several million yen, and that various commodity prices were expected to fall below standard levels. This directive had been definitively worded to rely on the laws of supply and demand, as was well-known among those in the economic sphere. However, when we actually observe the subsequent state of Korea's economy, we see that commodity prices continue to rise day by day. With the harsh winter looming, the public sentiment is enveloped in anxiety, and the future direction of the country is uncertain. What is the cause of this?

Eighty percent of Korea's assets were owned by Japanese people, and it was not just in the form of real estate, but also cash holdings. Furthermore, as Japanese people, they were allowed to freely buy and sell their private property, adding 'icing on the cake,' so to speak. In collusion with ethnic Korean traitors, they made an internal agreement to deposit only a portion of the proceeds into Korean banks, following the directives of the malicious government, while the majority of the funds were set aside to be received separately. That is how, while they cannot freely withdraw cash from the bank (no more than 1000 yen can be withdrawn at a time), they can still indulge in lavish eating and wastefulness while in Korea. This is the final malevolence of people leading the country to ruin. Furthermore, because they purchase goods at high prices, they end up possessing only about 20% [of their original assets]. As Korean compatriots, how can we fight against this? The economic impact is significant on lower-level laborers as well as the general public who live month-to-month maintaining households on monthly salaries.

There are only two solutions. One is to expel the Japanese from our country as soon as possible, and the other is to remove the ethnic Koreans traitors who collude with them. These ethnic Korean traitors (pro-Japanese individuals) aim to cheaply acquire or manage property owned by the Japanese. They put on the facade of being pro-American, and with advanced techniques previously used to curry favor with the Japanese, they try to deceive the sacred U.S. military, which came to save us, in order to gain personal profit. If the U.S. military thinks that these traitors are the leaders of Korea, we believe that they will repeat a grave mistake. We heard that the U.S. Military Government has set up an investigative committee regarding the selling of property, so we hope that the Military Government will thoroughly investigate these ethnic Korean traitors and be fully prepared for the establishment of a new Korea.

Who Is to Blame for Price Inflation?

Wipe Out the Destructive Mentality

Know the Righteousness of Building the Korean Nation

Why has the price of a bundle of green onions skyrocketed from one yen to three? It's not just green onions. The same thing is happening to sugar and daikon radish. As rampant inflation is threatening our daily life, we should definitely denounce the ones responsible for this malicious inflation. Who can deny that the majority of Japanese, who are limited to carrying cash when going back to Japan, are the main culprits? When considering that they can take lots of cash with them when they go back to Japan, it is no wonder why, these days, the Japanese can continue to lead prosperous lives without any discomfort as long as they have cash.

Take a look at the markets in the city. Is it not true that the ones hoarding the most essential food items and goods are exclusively Japanese women? We hear of outrageous stories like green onions, which were said to be too expensive at one yen a bundle, jumping to three yen a bundle before you knew it, and sugar now selling at 60 yen a kilogram. When you tell a vegetable seller that "Three yen for a bundle of green onions is too expensive," they reply, "You must be joking. Japanese people will buy it no matter how expensive it is."

Those immoral merchants who take advantage of the Japanese people's psychology to inflate prices must also be expelled, but whatever happens to the economic order of Korea in the future, these destructive scoundrels who are indifferent to how they threaten the lives of the Korean people must be removed as soon as possible. For 40 years, they squeezed as much blood from the Korean people as they could, and now they are returning to the ruins of their homeland while wiping their tears in defeat, but these are the underhanded means by which they leave economic chaos behind in Korea. Particularly in the southern part of the city and near the areas where Japanese residents live, due to the economic chaos caused by the Japanese, prices are increasing day-by-day. Thus, we must be determined to quickly implement the complete removal of the malicious residents who do not know the "Righteousness of Building the Korean Nation".

[Transcription]

京城日報 1945年11月5日

インフレを造る悪党

日人は退去せよ

にせ親美の民族反逆者除去も急先務

悪政が継続された日本帝国主義時代に総督府或いは総ゆる機関に対し強制的に供出、売買をさせ我等三千万同胞の血を吸い出し手足金しばりにした謂商業統制令と公定価格制度を今年十月二十日以後から廃止すると、軍政庁で総指令第二号を布告すると同時に我等朝鮮の経済界を自由市場へと指導する立場にて売買を奨励、生産を増加させ物価を低下させると同時に各自が死蔵した物品を市場へ送るべく総力を注いでいるから、朝鮮民族自体も軍政庁を信頼する証拠として銀行預金と郵便貯金が数百万円と増加して各種の物価が水準以下に低落するものと軍政庁では前日に言明して曰く、此の法令は経済界者達が周知している如く需要と供給の法則に依る決定的に言明されたが、以後の朝鮮の経済界を一観する時、それと反比例に日々物価は上がる一方で厳冬を前に控えて民心は不安に包まれ、その行方を知らずに居るのである。其の原因は何に起因するか。

朝鮮の八割の財産が日本人の所有であったから、その財産は不動産のみではない。勿論、それに正比例して現金も偏在してあった。その外に日本人としては、錦上に花を添える形で私有財産を自由に売買することを許されたのを寄貨として、朝鮮の民族反逆者と共謀して、その代価の一部分を朝鮮銀行に(悪政庁の命令にて)預金することを内約し、大部分は現今を別途に受け取って置き、思うがままに現金を銀行から引き出さられぬから(千円以上不能)朝鮮に居る間に好く食うてくい散らかす亡国人の最後の発悪を致し、かつてに高価にて物を買い入れるから二割程度しか持たない。我等朝鮮同胞は此れにどうして対抗出来るであろうか。尚さら下層労働者と月給にて月々の世帯を持つ大衆に及ぼす経済的影響は大きなものであるのである。

その解決方針としては二つしかない。その一つはすべからく日本人をして一日も早く我が国より追い出すことであり、もう一つは日本人と共謀する民族反逆者を除去することである。この民族反逆者(親日輩)達は日本人の財産を手安く自分の手に入るべく又は管理すべく親米家の仮面をかぶって過去に日本人におべっかを使った高等技術にて我等を救うために来た神聖なる米軍を瞞して私利を獲得しようとする者をまず先に除去すると同時に、米軍も彼輩達を朝鮮の指導者と思っては大きな過失をくり返すものと思われるが、軍政庁でも財産売買に関する審査委員会が設置されたと聞いているから民族反逆者達を徹底的に調査して朝鮮の建国の為に万全を期することを願うところである。

物価騰貴の罪は誰?

一掃せよ亡国根性

建国朝鮮の大義を知れ

一束一円の葱が一躍三円に値あげられた理由は一体どこにあるのか?葱ばかりでない。砂糖にしても大根にしてもそうだ。昨今の如く漬物価の暴騰がわれわれの生活の全面を脅かす時、悪性インフレーの造作輩の跋扈は断じて排撃すべきものである。現金持参(帰国のとき)を限定されを日本人の大多数がこの悪党輩の張本人であることを誰が否認しようか。帰国は出来ても多額の現金は止められている実状に照して彼等日本人このごろの生活は現金のある限り何等不自由なく裕かな生活をつづけている訳だ。

市内の各市場をのぞいて見よ。主要食糧をはじめ諸物貨の買い漁りは日本人婦女子に限られてはいないか。一円でも高過ぎるといった葱一束が何時の間に三円となり、砂糖一斤六十円というベラボウな話。野菜屋をのかぞいて『葱一束三円はあまり高いじゃないか』といえば『ご冗談でしょう。日本人はいくら高くても買ってくれますよ』。

いくら高くても買う日本人の心理を衝いて物価をベラボウに上げる悪徳商人も断じて駆逐すべきであるが、朝鮮の経済秩序が今後どうなろうが、朝鮮民族の生活が如何に威脅されようが構わぬという亡国的根性をもつ悪党を早く駆逐すべきである。四十年の長き間、朝鮮人の膏血を絞るだけ絞って今敗戦の涙をぐんで廃墟の里へ帰らんとする日本人の朝鮮に残す経済攪乱の卑劣な手段は即ちこれだ。殊に市内南部その外日本人居留部落の近くにある市場等の諸物価はこれら日本人の経済攪乱によって...日に日に沸騰する覚悟で建国朝鮮の大義を知らない悪性居留民の完全撤退が速に実施されなければならない。



Monday, August 7, 2023

Imperial Japanese colonial regime instilled intense fear and paranoia among Koreans by forcing them to listen to this 20-minute radio broadcast mobilizing the entire nation in counter-espionage to snitch on each other even for complaining about food shortages (July 1943)

It's been just over 80 years since a terrifying radio broadcast was delivered to the entirety of the Korean nation on July 13th, 1943. Considering this milestone, I felt it timely to share a translated transcript of that very broadcast, offering a window into the intense atmosphere of fear and paranoia that pervaded Korea during Imperial Japanese rule.

Police Chief Tange delivering the 20-minute radio broadcast at 7:30pm on July 13, 1943.

Its significance cannot be understated; it's highly likely that every Korean at the time was compelled to listen to this 20-minute address by Police Chief Tange. If you're Korean, think about it – your ancestors probably sat anxiously in front of the radio, absorbing every word of this speech that day.

In the article, I've highlighted specific passages, including those where the audience is directly encouraged to report on one another. There's a detailed elaboration on the activities that colonial officials were most concerned about – these descriptions provide keen insights into what the regime perceived as threats, thereby revealing what resistance movements were likely attempting at the time. It's truly awe-inspiring to consider that resistance activists managed to operate within Korea despite the overwhelming climate of dread and suspicion enforced by such broadcasts.

The contents of this radio broadcast are quite alarming. Koreans were integrated into Aegukban (Patriotic Groups), eerily similar to the Imperial Japanese Tonari-gumi or North Korean inminban institutions. These were essentially neighborhood cells comprising a few households. Each cell was overseen by a leader who made sure everyone complied with regime orders. On that evening of the broadcast, every Korean, as part of their respective Patriotic Group, was presumably gathered to listen in. While the broadcast was in Japanese, a language only approximately 15% of Koreans would have understood, assistants would have likely been translating the words into Korean on the spot for the broader populace.

The broadcast discussed matters of grave national importance, chiefly focusing on thwarting espionage activities. Alarmingly, even expressing discontent about food shortages was deemed a reportable offense. It's not hard to visualize the palpable tension, with everyone wary of their own words and their neighbor's actions.

For those interested, I'm also sharing a link to another radio broadcast that touches on similar themes of espionage and counter-resistance, though it's notably less intense in tone than this one. It provides another lens through which to understand the era's narratives and anxieties.

I understand that sharing propaganda from this period can be contentious. However, I believe it is important to shed light on the profound sense of fear and paranoia that pervaded Korea during that era. It's only fitting that we remember the psychological suffering the Korean nation endured at that time. By revisiting these primary sources – propaganda radio broadcasts from the time – we gain a deeper understanding of the atmosphere that Koreans of that time lived in.

[Translation]

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) July 14, 1943

Total War and Civilian Counter-Espionage Defense (Broadcast by Director Tange of the Police Affairs Bureau)

The enemy's dagger is near at hand

Devote yourselves to the spirit of "Ever on the Battlefield"!

The Counter-Espionage Defense Week for the annihilation of the US and Britain has been set up under a 25 million-strong ironclad regime, launching a major offensive simultaneously across all of Korea on July 13th. Director Tange of the Police Affairs Bureau delivered a broadcast entitled "Total War and Civilian Counter-Espionage Defense" for twenty minutes from 7:30 pm on July 13th. He explained the importance of unarmed strategy in counter-espionage warfare and how it can sway modern warfare, encouraging the entire Korean peninsula to rise up against the enemy's network of schemes. The following is the essence of his broadcast. [Photo = Director Tange of the Police Affairs Bureau broadcasting]

Today, as we begin the Counter-Espionage Defense Week across all of Korea, I wish to express my thoughts and ask for the serious attention of all citizens. A year and a half has quickly passed since we received the Imperial Rescript declaring war. During this period, under the Great Authority of the Emperor, the splendid victories of our Imperial military are unparalleled in world history, and our country is now establishing an invincible regime across all of East Asia, on the verge of building a Co-Prosperity Sphere.

However, the last counterattack of the doomed US and Britain, fueled by their fully matured material civilization, is making a desperate struggle, revealing the true nature of their bestial brutality. The fight is becoming extremely harsh and intense. It reveals the unique aspects of modern total war that mobilizes all of human intelligence and manpower, not allowing any citizen, whether on the front lines or on the home front, to abstain from the battle.

The prominent characteristic of modern warfare is that it is not just a battle of military strength, but a fight that covers the entire nation, pitting the full strength of its people against each other. All methods that can be conceived using all human knowledge and ability are employed. The material and human elements of a nation are all mobilized for the war without exception. Everything is a weapon, and everyone is a soldier. Therefore, in this context, we who are the citizens under wartime must discern the essence of this modern total war, reflect on our daily lives, discipline ourselves, and raise our spirits. In terms of "counter-espionage defense," I believe that it is necessary to deepen our understanding and put more into practice at this time.

What is counter-espionage defense? As it is already known, it is "preventing enemy intelligence activities" and "suppressing enemy conspiratorial activities." "Intelligence activities" and "spy warfare" are not new issues; they have always been conducted alongside armed warfare and considered an important element of war. As stated in ancient military texts, "If you know your enemy and yourself, you will win every battle." Efforts to "know the enemy" have been made through methods such as stealth or deceptive strategies and have produced many stories in the long history of warfare which adorn the pages of important military texts.

Therefore, the efforts to prevent and suppress these, that is, "counter-espionage defense," is not a matter that was brought up only in modern times. However, the reason why it is being propagated so loudly today and is demanding strict practice from the citizens is indeed a natural consequence of the essence of modern total war, which mobilizes all citizens as fighting soldiers.

In past wars, as in the Battles of Shizugatake or Sekigahara, everything was decided by a confrontation between two armies in a confined battlefield, armed with swords and spears. The activities of spies to "know the numbers" were mainly to detect enemy forces, formations, and tactics, and they were sufficient. Therefore, efforts to prevent them, or the "counter-espionage defense," were able to achieve their goals with mere military discipline, such as preventing enemy spies from infiltrating the camp and strictly maintaining secrecy among the soldiers.

However, in modern warfare, everything and everyone are elements of war, and the war is not necessarily fought only on what is called the front line, but is fought both domestically and abroad. Therefore, enemy intelligence activities are not just directed at the movements of armies and vessels on the front line, but they infiltrate deeply into the homeland, casting a thorough investigative eye over all the physical capabilities of the state, or in other words, over every field spanning industry, economy, finance, transportation, communication, etc., ranging from the production of military needs and weapons by the state to the daily consumption of food by the average family. They also pay sharp attention to the war capabilities of the people, or in other words, the organization of conscription mobilization, the composition of productive labor, and even the degree of uplift in war consciousness, and the completeness of the home front wartime system, etc.

These enemy spies, having obtained various pieces of intelligence in this way, communicate them quickly and effectively to their allies by shortwave radio and other methods, providing information for their operational tactics. This is indeed the original mission of spies, which should be called intelligence activities. However, the essence of modern total war does not limit spy activities to such passive intelligence activities, but further requires the development of aggressive conspiratorial activities. In other words, in modern warfare, spy activities have moved beyond merely detecting military and national intelligence, which are indirect and passive activities, to direct, proactive activities aimed at reducing and destroying the military power of the opposing country, in other words, all its physical and human capabilities.

In other words, they are trying to destroy physical capabilities by setting fire to and destroying important factories and mines, instigating strikes and sabotage, disrupting railway traffic, and so on, which result in reducing productivity, causing material losses, and hindering transportation and logistics. They do not care about their targets or their choice of methods, and even adopt extremely calculated malicious methods, such as causing chaos in the financial world. They further aim to disturb the financial sector, plunge the economic function into chaos, counterfeit and disseminate paper money, hoard and withhold goods, exaggerate and spread false information about high prices and shortages, all these are extremely calculated and malicious tactics.

On the other hand, they aim to lower human resources, overstate the enemy's power to induce fear in our citizens, spread rumors that cause doubt about our war achievements, and disrupt the government's leadership of the people, spreading defeatist sentiments by various means. They may even resort to spreading toxic substances or disease-causing bacteria in cities and other important places, threatening the lives and health of non-combatant citizens without any regard for the cruelty of their methods.

With the rise or fall of the state at stake, and as we now carry out this all-out war, it is natural to imagine that the devilish hands of enemy spies have infiltrated into the home front of wartime Japan, aiming to target each and every one of our daily lives with their relentless cruelty. They also focus their efforts on the Korean Peninsula, a crucial forward base for advancing into the Asian continent and an essential foundation for establishing the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. Their natural objective is to investigate, disrupt, and destroy the economic and military value of the Korean peninsula.

Considering that it has been just over thirty years since the annexation of the Korean peninsula, and the process of Imperial assimilation is still in its early stages, this creates a fragility in ideological unity. Enemies see this as the greatest vulnerability of Japan and, as such, they pour all their efforts into espionage activities here. They persistently attempt intelligence gathering and propaganda behind the scenes in the Korean Peninsula, striving desperately to weaken its military power. This is, of course, to be expected. In fact, this has been proven true. The numerous spy incidents that we have detected and suppressed by our own hands, both in terms of quantity and the cunning and nefarious nature of their plots, truly defy common imagination.

These spies disguise themselves as good citizens, seemingly leading exemplary lives in the home front as loyal subjects of Imperial Japan, doing everything to avoid arousing the suspicion of the public and authorities. Revealing their true identities using ordinary methods is extremely difficult, nearly impossible. People cannot guarantee that they have never before been neighbors with spies, ridden in the same vehicles as spies, or even sat in front of spies. There may be some who have unknowingly revealed important state secrets to these spies, believing them to be close friends. Phrases in our battle instructions like "Spies are always near" and slogans like "There's a spy next to you" are not mere scare tactics.

Given this, how should we, each and every one of us in our daily lives, fend off and fight against these these spies who are disguised daggers? The first and foremost fundamental understanding is that each and every citizen is part of the state engaged in total war, and in modern total war, each and every citizen is a counter-espionage soldier. Even when we are on the home front, each of us, in our respective fields, is engaged in a brutal, absolute war of survival against espionage. We must bear in mind that we are all on the battlefields of Attu Island and the Solomon Islands, and only by embracing this understanding and standing together can we truly wage modern war.

Secondly, to physically manifest this understanding and stand together, we must perform our duties wholeheartedly. We must regard our workplace as the battlefield, fully devote ourselves to maintaining the secrecy of our tasks and protecting vital resources. If we push forward to increase the military strength of the state, we will leave no room for spies to operate. Thirdly, we must have absolute trust in the state's measures, not only refraining from discontent and grumbling but also proactively cooperating with the state.

In war, one should always be prepared for death, and suffering and difficulties naturally accompany it. Shortages of supplies and the tightening of daily life are expected consequences of war. To be disheartened by these challenges, to complain about them, and worse, to fall prey to the lies and provocations of spies is utterly unacceptable for the citizens of a nation at war. Every citizen should consider it their duty to endure these hardships without complaint. If people refuse to feel the impact of shortages or express dissatisfaction, then no enemy propaganda, rumors, or tactics such as strategic hoarding or withholding of goods will have any significant effect. Just as soldiers on the front line follow their commanders' orders and bravely charge into deadly situations, every citizen on the home front must faithfully follow the government's policies. With such a resolution, even if spies employ their most cunning tactics, there can be no chance for negative thoughts to take root, like war-weariness or anticipation of defeat.

Fourthly, we must strive to root out the enemy spies among our one hundred million national people. With a fighting spirit of "seek the enemy and destroy," we must consider ourselves as members of a nation constantly at war, even on the streets of daily life. No matter how cunning the spy may be, if we stay vigilant by being on the look out for the spies who have infiltrated among us on the home front, their true identities will be revealed in front of the discerning eyes of a hundred million national people.

We, the people, must relentlessly pay attention to weed out the enemy spies hiding among us. Whether they are beside us, or from within our own Patriotic Groups, if we detect any suspicious or doubtful individuals, we should act like scouts on the battlefield discovering enemy shadows and immediately report them to the police authorities, actively cooperating and assisting in their arrest and investigation. Each of us must consider ourselves as one of the fighting soldiers. Under this awareness, we should pay attention to our health and hygiene, strive to prevent and eradicate infectious diseases, and enhance our physical strength to completely block the enemy's germ warfare tactics. It is an urgent task to fight on the front lines of this counter-espionage war.

Every individual is a member of a nation at war, united both on the front lines and on the home front, committing to the total effort of the state. Each person must deeply understand and be resolved to face their duties and battles as if they were in the trenches, defending to the death. In doing so, there will be no room for enemy spies or their tactics, leaving them without strategy and rendering their efforts inconsequential. Modern total warfare blurs the lines between the front line and the home front, turning everything into a grave battleground. The secretive tactics of spies targeting the home front have become so intricately complex that they defy common imagination, constantly probing into the daily lives of citizens. Especially now, as the US and Britain intensify their counteroffensive strategies in a bid to turn the tides of war, their espionage and strategic warfare become even fiercer day by day. Any momentary lapse in our vigilance can influence the overall strength of our nation. The fate of our Empire equally rests on the shoulders of those at home. Remember that every one of us carries this responsibility. Embrace Admiral Yamamoto's teachings of "Ever on the Battlefield" deep in your hearts, and in honor of the brave souls of Attu Island, be resolved to engage in the war against espionage with an unwavering dedication to victory.

[Transcription]

京城日報 1943年7月14日

総力戦と銃後の防諜 (丹下警務局長放送)

敵の匕首身辺にあり

『常在戦場』の精神に徹せよ!

米英撃滅の防諜週間が二千五百万鉄火の体制に構えられて十三日全鮮一斉に一大進軍を展開したが、丹下警務局長は十三日午後七時半から二十分に亘って”国家総力戦と銃後の防諜”と題し放送。防諜戦が如何に近代戦戦局を左右させるか、その武器なき戦略の重大さを説き半島あげて敵の謀略網撃滅に起ちあがるべきを促した。以下その放送要旨。【写真=放送する丹下警務局長】

本日より全鮮に亘り防諜週間が実施せらるるに当り、聊か所懐を申し述べ国民各位の深甚なる御留意を煩わしたいと思う。畏くも宣戦の大詔を拝してより早くも一年有半、其の間大御稜威の下、皇軍の赫々たる戦果は世界史上未だ曾て見ざるところであり、我が国は今や大東亜の全域に亘り必勝不敗の体制を確立し共栄圏の建設将に成らんとしつつある。

然し乍ら亡び行く敵米英の最後の反攻はその爛熟せる物質文明の全機能を傾注して死物狂いのあがきを試み、彼等本来の鬼畜の如き残忍性と相俟って闘いは正に苛烈凄愴を極めつつあり、人智人力の一切を挙げて、戦線銃後を問わず国民の如何なる一人をも戦わざるを許さざる近代国家総力戦の特異なる様相を現実に露呈している。

近代戦の著しき特徴は戦が所謂武力戦のみに限定されず、国家の全域を掩うて闘われ、国民の総力を傾倒して相撃つと言うところにあり、其の手段は人類の全知全能を尽くして考え得る総ての方法が使用されると言う處にある。国家の有する物的、人的の要素は其の一物をも余さず、その一人をも残さず悉く戦争に動員せられ、一切の物が兵器であり、総ての人が兵士である。茲に於いてか我我戦時下国民たる者は此の近代総力戦の本質を見極めて、毎日毎日の自己の生活を反省し、規律し、昂揚して行かなければならないのであって、『防諜』と言うことに就いても此際更に認識を深くし、且つ実践して行く必要があると考えるのであります。

防諜とは如何なることであるか。今更申す迄もなく、『敵の諜報活動を防止する』ことであり、『敵の謀略活動を制圧する』ことである。『諜報活動』、『スパイ戦』ということは今に始まった問題ではなく、昔からの戦のある處必ずこれに伴って行われ、武力戦に併行して戦争の重要な要素を成していたと考えられるのである。『敵を知り己を知る者は百戦百勝す』と古の兵書にも説いてある如く、『敵を知る』ための努力は或いは忍びの術となり、或いは反間苦肉の策となって古今幾多の戦史に纏綿する物語を産み、戦書の重要なる頁を飾る處である。

従って此等を防ぎ制圧せんとする努力、即ち『防諜』ということも亦必ずしも現代に至って初めて採り揚げられた事柄ではない。然るにこれが今日の如く喧しく宣伝せられ、国民に向かって厳重なる実践を要求せらるるに至った所以は、実に近代総力戦の本質が国民の総てを戦う兵士として動員するということから当然帰結せられた要請である。

即ち昔の戦争は、仮令賤ヶ岳とか、関ケ原とか言う様な一定の限定された戦域、戦野に於いて両軍が刀槍の間に対峙し相撃つことに依って総ての勝敗が決定せられた故に『数を知る』スパイの活動も専ら敵の兵力、布陣乃至は戦術と言うようなことの探知を以て事足り、従って之を防ぐ『防諜』の努力も陣営に於ける、敵諜者の潜入防止とか、兵士の秘密厳守等単なる戦陣軍律を以て其の目的を達し得た。

然るに近代戦に於いては一切の物、一切の人が戦争の要素であり、之を場所的に見ても戦争は必ずしも所謂第一線のみで闘われるとは限らず、国内外を通じて闘われるのである。故に敵の諜報活動も単に戦線に於ける軍隊、艦艇の行動に指向するのみではなく、深く銃後の国内に迄潜行して其の国家の一切の物的能力、言い換えれば産業、経済、金融、交通、通信其の他万般の分野に亘って一国軍需、兵器の生産から、国民一家の日常食糧の消費に至る迄周到なる探査の眼を注ぎ、国家の人的要素たる国民の戦争能力、言い換えれば徴兵動員関係、生産労務の構成、更に進んでは其の戦争意識の昂揚程度、銃後戦時体制の完成如何等に亘り、鋭敏なる聴耳を立てているのである。

而してこれ等敵スパイは斯くして得たる諸般の諜報を短波無電その他の方法を以て迅速効果的に味方に連絡し、これに依ってその作戦戦術の資料たらしむるのであり、これが即ちスパイ本来の使命というべき諜報活動である。然し乍ら近代総力戦の本質は、スパイの活動を単に此の種消極的諜報活動にのみ限定することなく、更に進んで積極的謀略活動の展開を要求するにいたった。即ち近代戦に於けるスパイの活動は単に軍情、国情の探知と言う、云わば間接的受動的なる活動から更に進んで相手国の戦力、言い換えれば其の一切の物的人的能力を減殺壊滅せしめんとする直接的能動的機能を発揚せんとするのである。

即ち物的戦力を破砕せんとして、重要工場、鉱山等の放火、破壊、ストライキ、サボタージュの扇動、鉄道軌道の交通妨害等、苛くも生産力の減殺を結果し、物資の損耗を招来し、交通運輸を阻害することであるならば其の対象を問わず、其の手段を選ばないのであり、更に進んでは金融界を攪乱し、経済機能を混乱に陥し入るる為、或いは紙幣を偽造撒布し、或いは物資の買い溜め、売り惜しみを為し、或いは物価高、物資難を大袈裟に捏造誇張して宣伝流布せしむる等極めて計画的な悪質手段をも採用するのである。

又一方人的戦力の低下を企図し、敵国の戦力を誇大に宣伝して国民の対敵恐怖心を誘発し、自国の戦果発表に対し疑惑を生ぜしむる流言を作為流布して政府の国民指導を混乱に陥入るる等陰陽様々の方法を以て国民の間に厭戦、敗戦思想を醸成蔓延せしめ、甚だしきは都市、其の他の重要個所に毒物、伝染病細菌等を撒布して非戦闘員たる国民の生命、健康に多大の脅威を加うる等、之亦残忍苛酷、方法を選ぶに何らの顧慮するところはない。

国家の興廃を賭し乾坤一擲の大戦争を遂行しつつある今日斯の如き戦慄すべき敵スパイの魔手が戦う日本の銃後に潜入し我々国民の一人一人の日常生活を目標として其の残虐飽く無き跳梁を試みんとし虎視眈々たるものがあることは当然想像せらるるところである。更に翻って我朝鮮半島に対する敵スパイの蠢動如何の問題を検討するに所謂大陸前進兵站基地として、将又大東亜共栄圏確立の基盤として極めて重要なる地位を占むる朝鮮の経済的軍事的価値の探知究明乃至之が攪乱、破壊等は敵側の当然企図すべき重点である。

況んや半島が併合後未だ三十余年、皇化日猶浅しと為し其の思想的団結に脆弱性ありと看做す敵にありては、乗ずべき日本の最大の間隙なりとして、そのスパイ活動の全力を此処にに傾注し、此の朝鮮半島の銃後に執拗なる諜報、宣伝を試み、半島の戦力減殺に必死の努力を為すべきは当然である。現にこの事は事実として顕われ、既往我々の手に依って検挙弾圧せる諸種のスパイ事件は其の件数に於いて其の巧妙悪辣さに於いて実に世人の想像に絶するものがる。

而して此等スパイは一見善良なる市民を偽装し表面的には飽く迄忠良なる皇国臣民として模範なる銃後生活を営み、以て世人、官庁の疑惑を招かざらんことを汲々として之努め、之が正体の暴露は通常の方法を以てしては極めて困難、不可能に近く、一部の人は過去に於いて彼等と軒を連ね、或いは同車、対座した事がないとも保証し得ないのであり、中には全くそのスパイたる事を知らず、之と親密に交友し同時の間にか心を許して之に国家の重要なる機密を洩らしたことがないとも限らない。即ち戦陣訓に言う『諜者は常に身辺にあり』と云う言葉や『君の隣にスパイがいる』等と云う標語の如きは単に徒なるら嚇し文句ではないのである。

斯くの如く我が国民の一人一人が其の日常生活の中に、身近に擬せられた此の敵の匕首―スパイ―之を我々は如何にして防ぎ、如何にして敲き落すべきであろうか。其の第一は、国民の一人一人が総力戦を戦う国家の国民であり、且つ近代国家総力戦に於いては国民の一人一人が防諜戦士であるという認識に徹底することが、先ず肝要な基本観念である。先に述べました如く、我々国民は仮令銃後に在っても各々の職域に於いて特に防諜戦士として喰うか喰われるかの苛烈、絶対の戦争を分担して居るのであり、各自皆アツツ島並びにソロモン群島に連りたる戦場に在ることを明記しなければならないのであって、国民の総てが先ずこの観念に徹しこの気持ちでがっちり手を組むことに依って初めて近代戦争とも成ることが出来るのである。

即ちその具体的現れとして第二に挙ぐべきは職域における挺身奉公の実践である。職域を戦場と心掛け、常在戦場の観念に徹し、全力を傾注して或いは機秘密の保持に或いは重要資源の保護に夫々の持場を死守し、スパイをして窺うべき一分の隙だになからしめ、国家の戦力増進に邁進するならば、如何なるスパイの活動と雖も施すに方法なき筈である。第三は国家の施策に絶対信頼し不平不満をいわぬばかりでなく、進んで之に協力することである。

戦は常に死を期すべきである以上苦痛、困難の伴うは当然にして、況んや物資の不足や日常生活の窮屈化は戦争には当然予想せらるることであって、之に辟易して不平を洩らし、延てはスパイの造言、煽動に乗ぜらるることが如きは戦う国の国民として全くあり得べからざることである。苛くも国民の一人一人がこれを忍び耐えることを以て当然の義務と観念し、不足を感ぜず、不満を口外せざるに於いては如何なる敵の宣伝も、流言も計画的買い溜め、売り惜しみの戦術も些したる効果をも収め得ない筈である。其の他恰も戦線悉くの兵士が司令官の命令に絶対服従し死地に挺身突撃するが如き覚悟を以て銃後総ての国民が政府の施策に信従するに於いては如何にスパイが秘策を施すとも厭戦、敗戦等の悪思想の胚胎するが如きことは絶対にあり得ないのである。

第四には進んで我々一億国民の敵スパイを剔抉することである。求敵必滅の敢闘精神を以て、日常街頭においても不断に戦う国家の一員であることを考え、銃後に潜入せるスパイの発見に心掛くるならば如何に巧妙なるスパイと雖も一億国民の炯眼の前には必ずや終にその正体を暴露するに至る。

国民は我々の中に潜む我々の敵スパイを、自分の隣から、自分の愛国班から摘発し剔抉する為に不断の注意を払い苛も不審、容疑の者あらば恰も戦場に於いて敵影を発見せる斥候の如く、直ちに進んで警察当局に申告し之が逮捕究明に積極的に協力援助すべきである。其他国民各自は戦う兵士の一人であるという覚悟の下に各自その保健、衛生に留意し伝染病の予防撲滅に努め体力の増進を図り敵の細菌戦術を完封する等防諜戦の大一線に敢闘することが刻下喫緊の急務である。

凡ては戦う国家の一員であり、戦線銃後一体の国家総力戦の戦士である事を心底より覚悟認識して職域、戦場に臨み職場を塹壕として死守敢闘するに於いては如何なる敵スパイも如何なる諜報謀略も働くに余地なく施すに策なく何等恐るるに足らない。之を要するに近代国家総力戦は戦線銃後の別なくあげてこれを凄愴なる戦場たらしめ銃後を狙うスパイの秘密戦術は世人の想像を絶する程度に愈々巧妙複雑を加え間断なく国民の日常生活を窺いつつあり、殊に頽勢を一挙に挽回せんとする米英の一大反攻作戦と相呼応してその諜報謀略戦は日一日と苛烈の度を加えつつあるから我々一人一時の油断は、全国家の戦力に影響し、皇国興廃の岐路は等しく銃後国民の双肩に負荷せらるる責任なることを銘記し『常在戦場』山本元帥の遺訓を各自の心とし、アツツ島の英霊に応え参らす覚悟を以て防諜の戦に絶対不敗の努力をなさなければならない。

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-07-14

Monday, July 31, 2023

Bilingual Korean-Japanese propaganda posters started to be used in Korea starting October 1944

For the past two years, I've been studying the pages of Keijo Nippo (Gyeonseong Ilbo), the official propaganda mouthpiece newspaper of the Imperial Japanese colonial regime which ruled Korea from 1905 to 1945. Ever since an anonymous benefactor dumped an extensive collection of these newspaper issue on Internet Archive in 2021, I've been slowly translating and transcribing select articles to share with the wider community. However, I've been running into frustrating roadblocks with many of these newspaper issues, since many of the scanned copies are illegible beyond the headlines, and the 1945 issues are all missing. But this September, I am actually traveling to Seoul, so I finally get the chance to visit the National Library of Korea to check out the actual physical copies of the newspapers to access the articles which were illegible in the Internet Archive collections. In this post, I want to share some of the mysteries that I hope I can solve during my upcoming trip to Korea.

As it so happens, the July to December 1944 issues of Keijo Nippo in the Internet Archives are mostly illegible beyond the headlines. That is a shame, since there are some weird things in those issues that I believe merit some attention. These later newspaper issues cover a period marked by significant changes in colonial Korea, such as the end of Governor-General Koiso's reign on August 8, 1944, and the beginning of the administration of Governor-General Abe, who ruled colonial Korea until the end of the war. Unfortunately, there is very little information about Governor-General Abe online, which is why these newspaper articles are such invaluable historical documents. I hope to read some of his speeches, which might hold a clue as to the character of this last administration of the colonial regime.

One particular point of interest is a bilingual Korean-Japanese propaganda poster from October 7, 1944. It seems to depict factory workers waving Japanese flags, though the low-resolution scans make it challenging to decipher any further details. Can anyone make out what the Korean portion of the poster might be saying? I plan to take a clearer picture of this newspaper page when I visit the National Library of Korea in September to get a better understanding of this bilingual poster. Intriguingly, while propaganda newspapers were regularly reproduced in the Keijo Nippo newspaper, this was the only Korean-Japanese bilingual poster that I came across while flipping through the newspapers spanning from 1936 to 1944. Its uniqueness makes it worthy of a closer look, and I promise to delve into this in more depth during my visit, if I manage to gain access to the archives at the National Library of Korea.

Another intriguing thing I noticed was the platinum collection campaign run by the Imperial Japanese military. The demand for platinum likely ties back to its unique properties, which would have been highly valuable for various military applications such as catalysts in chemical production, electric components, and high-temperature applications. The newspaper pages ran several platinum drive articles encouraging Koreans to donate platinum. They even ran an illustration depicting a young girl donating a platinum ring to the war effort.

But what strikes me as unsettling was an article from December 29, 1944, which announces a "forced buy-up" of platinum, with threats of a 10-year prison sentence for refusing the buy-up. This type of threatening language was unheard of even for the extremist Koiso administration, which used softer language like "voluntary donation" for the collection war materials like brass. What was going on?

These snippets of history have piqued my interest, and I plan to investigate these and many other details from the colonial period further during my upcoming visit to the National Library of Korea. I aim to provide the community with a more detailed picture of this under-explored era. I'm sure many of you are just as curious about these aspects of Korean history, so I'll be sure to share all my findings upon my return.

Source 1: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1944-10-07

Source 2: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1944-10-13

Source 3: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1944-12-29

 

Thursday, May 25, 2023

Severe 1940s wartime housing crisis in urban areas of Japan-colonized Korea: housing shortfalls worsening each year, exacerbated by rent control, 2-3 families sharing one house, young people unable to marry or start families due to housing shortage

This article from 1943 covers the severe wartime housing crisis in Korea which was particularly acute in urban areas and industrial hubs. The article blames the housing shortage on various factors, including rapid urban population growth, expansion of industries, increasing incomes, and rent control policies hindering investment in rental housing. From 1939-1941, while the number of new households increased annually by 57,627, there was a stark deficit in the number of new housing units, with only 18,000 units added each year, leading to a yearly shortfall of around 20,000 units. Major cities, including Seoul, Pyongyang, Busan, and Chongjin, experienced significant housing deficits. This led to many social problems, including young people unable to marry and start families. Due to overcrowding, workers sought respite outside the home, which is why movie theaters had an outsized importance in this era for workers seeking an escape from their miserable reality.

Just as many young people today in Mainland China lament their inability to purchase homes, which poses a barrier to marriage, Korean youths apparently faced similar predicaments eight decades ago, during the final years of Imperial Japanese colonial rule.

(Translation)

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo), September 29, 1943

Three households in one house

Laborers have no homes to rest in

The War Lifestyle Reader Series: Housing (Part 1)

The words "house for rent" were written in black letters on a white piece of paper pasted messily on a lattice door of a residential home. Who has not seen such signs before? But now it has become a dream of the distant past. You have found someone to marry, but you don't have a house. You have been transferred to another city, but you can't go there because you can't find a house. It is no exaggeration to say that you will always be able to find three or four advertisements in the daily newspaper saying "Seeking a house for rent" or "No questions asked about the rent". Even a casual greeting to an acquaintance in passing would turn into a whine of, "By the way, do you know where I can find a house?" Indeed, the housing crisis is a serious concern shared by citizens of all belligerent nations of the world. So what is the relationship between war and housing, and how is it being resolved?

Original caption: "House for Rent" - that too has now become a dream of the distant past.

WARTIME HOUSING PROBLEMS

To sum up, similar to the previously discussed matters of "clothing" and "food," the issue of health and hygiene is of equal importance in guaranteeing a basic standard of living for our fighting nation. In today's age, when productive capacity directly correlates with war fighting potential, the ongoing housing crisis affecting ordinary people and the productivity of laborers is just as critical as food security, not merely a social issue as it was perceived in the past. Moreover, if we look at postwar population strategies through the lens of national development via population growth, we can argue that the barriers to population increase, such as challenges related to marriage, separate living, dormitories, and room rental, represent a substantial national issue, if not a concern for our co-prosperity sphere. So, what are the measures taken during wartime to address housing? But before diving into that, it's important to understand: why did the war result in such a severe housing crisis?

TWO TYPES OF HOUSING DIFFICULTIES

In essence, we can categorize housing difficulties into two distinct types. The first involves an imbalance between supply and demand due to fluctuating prices, a phenomenon that was common during past recessionary periods. The second type is an outright shortage of housing relative to demand, a situation we typically see during wartime. However, does this imply that Korea's wartime population grew so swiftly that we couldn't build enough housing to accommodate everyone? Not exactly. The housing shortage was prominent not in rural areas, but primarily in cities, mines, factories, and other hubs. This circumstance arose from a combination of factors brought on by the war:

  1. Rapid population growth in urban areas was spurred by the expansion of government offices, companies, and other enterprises.
  2. The sudden rise of the military iron and steel industry led to an increase in production, which caused workers in these industries to quickly flock to these sites.
  3. The increase in income of these industrial workers inevitably led to them seeking to establish their own homes, rather than continuing to share houses or rent rooms as they did before.
  4. Conversely, the soaring cost of land, difficulty in obtaining construction materials such as steel, the lack of construction workers, and the cessation of land rent control led to a halt in investment in rental housing, culminating in a significant housing shortage.

WE NEED TO BUILD 88,000 HOUSING UNITS PER YEAR

Assessing the current situation on the Korean peninsula through a numerical lens, the average yearly increase of new households and net gain in housing units (accounting for both new constructions and demolitions) across all major Korean cities between 1939 and 1941 was 57,627 households and 17,999 housing units, respectively. Intriguingly, while the number of households has been increasing steadily year after year, the availability of housing units has been on the decline, which was particularly noticeable in 1940. It's easy to conjecture that this trend has likely become even more pronounced since then. Notably, the new households include cohabiting living arrangements, apartments, and dormitories, so not all of them would need new housing. However, based on the ratio of housing units to households, which was 63% according to the 1938 survey, the annual requirement for housing units can be calculated to be around 38,000. This number is considerably higher than the aforementioned 17,999 units provided, leading to an annual deficit of about 20,000 housing units. As of the end of 1941, the housing shortages across all of Korea, according to a survey conducted by the Governor-General's Office in the previous October, are as follows:

  • Seoul: 41,333 housing unit deficit
  • Pyongyang: 5,559 housing unit deficit
  • Busan: 9,041 housing unit deficit
  • Chongjin: 8,472 housing unit deficit

The total number of households in the 38 provinces and towns in all of Korea is over 106,000. Many of them have families but are forced to rent rooms, live in dormitories, or live separately from their families. The reality is that two or three households often have no choice but to share one house. According to a survey conducted by the Governor-General's Office, the following is a summary of the current situation.

City Renting Rooms Sharing Houses Single-household Houses
Seoul 33% 17% 50%
Busan 20.8% 7.2% 72%
Pyongyang 31% 9% 60%
Hamhung 12.3% 11% 76.6%
Chongjin 9.3% 9.1% 81.6%

(Note: Figures are rounded down to the nearest 0.0%.)

In other words, in the above five cities, 68% of the respondents lived in a house occupied by a single household, 21% rented rooms, and 11% shared their homes with other households.

NO RESTING PLACES FOR LABORERS

Therefore, homes to which workers return after a bustling day at work or after arduous manual labor during wartime have ceased to be sanctuaries of rest and relaxation. Instead, people seek respite outside the home. Entertainment districts teem with activity throughout the day, and movie theaters are marked by lengthy queues from morning till night. This kind of scene, which seems so out of sync with the times, may indeed warrant condemnation. However, it's only fair to say that those living in lavish mansions and comfortable official residences, who have never faced a housing crisis in their lives, should not be the ones to pass judgment or criticize such individuals.

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-09-29

(Transcription)

京城日報 1943年9月29日

一戸に三世帯の割

労務者に憩いの家なし

戦争生活読本 住の巻(上)

しもたや風の格子戸に雑に貼られた白い紙に、黒く書かれた『貸家』の文字。嘗てそれを散見しなかった人があろうか。だが、今はもう、それは遠い過去の夢だ。結婚の相手は決まったがサテ家がない。転勤にはなったが家がなくて赴任出来ぬ。日々の新聞の広告欄に『求貸家』、『不問家賃』の三つ四つ見られぬことは絶対ないといって過言でない。偶々往来で出遭った知人との挨拶も『ところで何処か家はないでしょうか』との泣き言に変わって来る始末。まことに住宅難こそは、世界の凡ゆる交戦国国民にとって共通する深刻な悩みである。然らば戦争と住宅。それは如何なる関係にあり、如何なる風に解決されんとしつつあるのであろうか。

戦時下の住宅問題

それは結論的にいって前述の『衣』、『食』の問題同様、戦う国民の保健衛生上、最低限度の生活確保という点で同じ比重を持つ重要問題である。特に生産力の増強が、直接戦力の増強である今日、労務者で庶民階級の住宅難が及ぼす生産力への影響は、食糧問題に決して劣らぬ重大問題であり、嘗ての如き単なる社会問題では絶対にないのである。さらに戦後の人口対策、民族発展のための人口増殖という点より考察する場合、即ち具体的にいって住宅難のための結婚難、別居生活、下宿、間借り生活等が、人口増殖への障害は国家的、いや共栄圏的重大問題であるともいえるであろう。では、戦時下の住宅対策は、ということになるが、その前に戦争は何故に斯くも深刻な住宅難を招来したのであろうか。

住宅難の二つの型

住宅難については原則として二つの型がある。一つは価格の点による需給の不円滑であり、これは嘗ての不景気時代の現象であった。そしてもう一つは需要に対する供給量の絶対不足である。後者が戦時下の現下に於ける現象であることはいうまでもない。しかし、それでは、戦時下の国内人口がそれだけに急激に増加し、それに対する住宅の建築が伴わないであろうか。といえばそうではない。何故ならば住宅難は農村ではこれを見ることなく独り都会地或いは鉱山、工場等の事業地にのみ限られた問題だからである。即ち戦争の結果:

1.官公署、会社その他の事務が膨張し人口の都市集中が急激に増加した。

2.生産増強のための軍需鉄工業が頓に勃興し、これらの従業員がこれら事業地に急激に集中したこと。

3.これら事業関係の労務者の収入増は、必然的に従来の如き同居、間借り生活から独立して一戸を構えるに至ったこと。

4.一方に於いて地価の昂騰、建鉄資材の入手難、建築労務者の不足及び地代家賃統制のストップ令等により貸家への投資中止即ち建築の手控えが行われたこと等により住宅の絶対不足となったものである。

年八万八千戸の要

茲で少しく半島の現状につき数字的に見れば、昭和十四年より十六年迄の三ヶ年に於ける全鮮主要都市の世帯増加数と新築及び滅失取り壊しによる実際供給戸数の平均は、世帯増加の年間平均五万七千六百二十七に対し供給戸数の平均は一万七千九百九十九となっており、特に世帯増加は年々増加しているのに反し、供給戸数は十五年を中心に減少しているのである。そして斯かる現象はその後の情勢からさらに著しくなっているだろうことは推察に難くない。尤も増加世帯のうちには同居、アパート住まい、下宿生活等もあるので、その全部が住宅を必要とするわけではないが、昭和十三年末調査による世帯数に対する住宅戸数の割合六分三厘の比率を以て、所要供給戸数を算出してみても年間三万八千戸の必要となり、前述の供給戸数一万七千九百九十九戸では差引き約二万戸ずつが年々不足している勘定となるのである。また総督府昨年十月調査の十六年末現在全鮮住宅不足数を見ると、

  • 京城:41,333戸
  • 平壌:5,559戸
  • 釜山:9,041戸
  • 清津:8,472戸

となって居り、全鮮三十八府邑の合計では実に十万六千余戸というその多数が、家庭は持ちながらも已むなく間借り、下宿、或いは家族との別居を余儀なくされているのである。即ち一軒の家に二世帯も三世帯も同居せねばならぬということになっているのが現状で、これも総督府の調査では次の如くになっている。

  • 京城: 間貸:33% 同居:17% 同居なし:50%
  • 釜山: 間貸:20.8% 同居:7.2% 同居なし:72%
  • 平壌: 間貸:31% 同居:9% 同居なし:60%
  • 咸興: 間貸:12.3% 同居:11% 同居なし:76.6%
  • 清津: 間貸:9.3% 同居:9.1% 同居なし:81.6%

(註=0.0%位以下切り捨て)

即ち以上の五府についてみても一戸一世帯居住は68%で、21%は間貸、11%は同居となって居るのである。

労務者安息所なし

かくては、戦時下の繁忙な執務を終えて、或いは劇しい労働に疲れて帰る憩いの家は、決して休息と静養のための生活の温床とはならず、人々は屋外ヘ憩いを求め繁華街は、わけもなく終日雑沓し、映画館は朝から長蛇の列に囲繞される結果となるのである。あまりにも非時局的な此の種の街の風景は、当然非難されるべきではあるが、しかしそれは到底、豪壮な邸宅や悠然たる官舎に住宅難を経験せぬ人々からの無反省な批判、非難は当を得ないものであるといっても差支えないのではなかろうか。

Elderly Korean farmer Kim Chi-gu (김치구, 金致龜) featured in 1943 article fervently donating 150,000 kg of rice to the Imperial Japanese Army every year and receiving honors from Prime Minister Tojo at a formal awards ceremony in Haeju

I wanted to share an intriguing article that I recently came across in an old issue of the Keijo Nippo newspaper, a known propaganda tool fo...