Imperial Japanese news staff departing Korea wrote last words celebrating the ‘Young Korea’ as a ‘joyous uprising’, praising Kimchi, saying goodbyes to Korean collaborator writers, baring ‘a heart full of desolation’, mourning a daughter’s death, criticizing war leaders… (Nov. 1, 1945)

This is the second part of a two-part series. The first part is posted here.

The following is content from a Seoul newspaper published on November 1, 1945, two and a half months after Japan's surrender in World War II and the liberation of Korea. Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo), the colonial era newspaper that had served as the main propaganda newspaper for the whole of colonial Korea from 1909 to 1945, was still publishing in Japanese as the national newspaper of Korea. The ethnic Japanese staff managed against all odds to retain control over the newspaper during those two and a half months, until they were finally forced to relinquish control to the Korean employees. These Koreans independence activists took over and subsequently continued the publication of this newspaper in Japanese with an avowed Korean nationalist editorial stance from November 2nd until December 11th, 1945.

The very last page of Japanese-controlled Keijo Nippo, Nov. 1, 1945 issue

However, before the ethnic Japanese staff was forced to leave, they were allowed to publish one last issue, dated November 1st, 1945, with the very last page dedicated to farewell messages that they wrote to the Korean people as a memento, in which they eloquently express their sad and conflicted thoughts and feelings. Unfortunately, I found this last page in poor condition with big ink blots, gashes, and faded text, so it was very difficult to read them. Nonetheless, due to the compelling content of these long forgotten messages, I decided it was worth spending some time deciphering them as much as I could. There were seven different essays on this page with six different authors. Due to their sheer length, I shared two of the essays in the first part of this series, and I am sharing the five remaining essays in this post as I unlock this long forgotten time capsule.

There is a lot to unpack in these five essays, but since an in-depth analysis of this cross-section of the post-war Japanese psyche would probably require a dissertation, I will mostly let the words of the authors speak for themselves with some Wikipedia links added for convenience. But I think it will be fair to say that the thoughts and feelings of these Imperial Japanese news editors are extremely complex and defy any simple characterization. So, I'll just comment on a few notable things about these essays.

One of the essays bids farewell to the Korean writers of the Korean Literary Association, a puppet of the colonial regime. The Korean Literary Association was founded in 1939 to nurture Korean writers to serve the colonial regime. The association encompassed both ethnic Korean writers who wrote in Korean and Japanese and ethnic Japanese writers who were residents of Korea and wrote in Japanese, and the works of both groups were considered to be ‘Korean literature’, regardless of how different their cultures and perspectives may have been. In this way, Korean literature of this era became heavily politicized to serve the political interests of Imperial Japan. The association published a literary periodical that was published in both Japanese and Korean, but by May 1942, the Korean language edition was discontinued in the name of ‘Imperialization’ and ‘Japanese-Korean unification’. In an earlier post, I covered the propaganda writings of three of these Korean writers: Yu Jin-oh (유진오/兪鎮午, 1906~1987), Choi Jae-seo (최재서/崔載瑞, 1908~1964), and Lee Seok-hoon (이석훈/李石薫, 1907~?). 

In the postwar era, the three members’ lives took very different courses. Yu Jin-oh became one the early drafters of the South Korean Constitution, worked as a legal scholar and as a prominent conservative politician in South Korea for many years until his death in 1987. Choi Jae-seo continued his academic activities teaching English literature at South Korean universities until his death in 1964. Lee Seok-hoon was arrested by the North Korean People’s Army at the outbreak of the Korean War in July 1950, and his whereabouts are unknown to this day.

Another thing I noticed was the author of one of the essays: Katō Manji, who was born in 1890 and died in 1980. He describes himself as being the chief of the organization department of Keijo Nippo from 1942 to 1945. Doing a quick online search, I learned that, according to a 2008 Asahi Shimbun article, in at least 1941 and 1942, he was also working at the organization department of Asahi Shimbun newspaper in mainland Japan. His surviving family members provided some personal artefacts to Asahi Shimbun, which apparently included reams of directives from the military censors telling him what he was not allowed to publish. For example, one of the rules was "Don't use the word 'white people' (白人)". This suggests that the chief of the organization department was in charge of making sure that the military censor's directives were being followed by the newspaper staff.

This post is a continuation of my ongoing exploration of the old newspaper archives from 1945 Korea that I checked out and photographed at the National Library of Korea in September 2023.

[Translation]

Ten Years of Living in Seoul: Recalling Some of My Memories

By Terada Ei

When I look back at my ten years of life in Korea, various memories naturally come flooding back. Especially for me, it is inevitable that I will feel deeply moved, since I spent one-third of my newspaper career here.

At Keijo Nippo, I spent the longest time in the Arts and Culture Department. Because of this, I became quite close to many Korean cultural figures, which I consider an unexpected but valuable gain. Although I was known as a bit of a sharp-tongued person, I do not recall making any enemies, which is my most significant impression from my life in Korea. It is regrettable that I cannot bid farewell in person to each of these individuals, but even if I don't address each of them by name, I believe that in their hearts, there lies a friendship that will recall me from time to time.

My memories of the time when the so-called Korean Literary Association was formed are particularly profound. In the words that we used back then, Japanese and Korean literati came together as one to move forward. However, among my comrades of that time, some foresaw the inevitability of air raids in Korea and promptly evacuated to mainland Japan, while others quickly disappeared to Tokyo as soon as the situation worsened. When you consider that those were our leaders at that time, and that they were Japanese people, it goes to show that a person's true worth is revealed in times of crisis. I vividly remember traveling to 24 cities throughout Korea to give lectures as part of the so-called New System Movement during the Literary Association days. After the Literary Association became the Literary Patriotic Society, I became somewhat estranged from the scene due to the situation within the newspaper office at the time and the aftermath of an illness.

It is with reluctance that I speak of personal matters, but I lost my only daughter in Seoul. She had always been frail since birth, but she had never gotten sick even once since coming to Korea. After graduating from girls' school, she had become healthy enough to volunteer to assist with the Imperial Navy's work. However, she fell ill with a mild case of bronchitis, but after four days in bed, she passed away unexpectedly in the early hours of December 29. The doctor who saw her then was both the first and last doctor that she saw since coming to Seoul. She was twenty-three when she passed away.

What I gained from my time in Korea are the cherished memories of the many friends that I made, and the only thing that I lost was my hope in life, which I lost with the passing of my daughter.

My wife and I will soon leave Seoul, carrying two backpacks and an urn of ashes. It is difficult to deny that our hearts are filled with a mix of joy and sorrow, a tumult of various emotions.

Farewell, Korea. Farewell, Seoul, and farewell, my friends. Please accept this as my last goodbye in print. (October 31, 1945)

The Creation of a New Culture

By Nakaho Sei

I recall the day I first met General Arnold of the military government. The scene at the military government office, with its Western-style white chalk building, the Oriental-style building in the backyard with its predominantly red colors reminiscent of Beijing's Forbidden City, the American soldiers in khaki uniforms, and the crowd of Koreans in white traditional attire at the gate, formed a unique and unforgettable image in my eyes. From behind this scene, I could see the faint white smoke of burned documents rising into the sky. It felt like a symbol of the culture of tomorrow's Korea.

Looking back, it occurs to me that, whether it be Confucianism, religion, or Oriental music, many elements that added brilliance to Japanese culture from ancient to medieval times came from the Asian continent. However, it was Korea that played the crucial role of being a "bridge" connecting the Asian continent and Japan. Indeed, it may be said that, rather than being a bridge, Korea cultivated many of the ideas born in China and India before passing them on to Japan.

Buddhism is an excellent example of this. Confucianism, especially Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism, was greatly developed in Korea by great philosophers like Yi Hwang. The remarkable flourishing of Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism in Japan during the Tokugawa era owed much to Korean Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism. If it is permissible to say that Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism was an ideological driving force of the Meiji Restoration, then the distant roots of the Meiji Restoration would have to be sought in Korea.

The world, especially in its entirety, has been ravaged by war and will be preoccupied with reconstruction efforts without much time for reflection. In East Asia, Korea suffered the least damage from bombings. From this perspective, Korea is now in a position to be a major nursery and source for the rebuilding of Greater East Asian culture… Korea is blessed with the opportunity to leave a significant mark on the cultural history of East Asia as a creator of culture.

From a geopolitical standpoint, there are various views about the Korean peninsula. However, looking at the map, Korea lies between China and Russia on the Asian continent, facing Japan and the United States across the sea. Korea should combine and refine the cultures of these neighboring countries to construct a new culture, an endeavor that must achieve significant results. Moreover, by nurturing Korea's inherent culture, such as that of the Baekje and Silla kingdoms, we can look forward to the growth of an even better new culture. (October 31)

Through the Newspaper Pages

By Katō Manji

The desperate struggles of the defeated nations, beginning with the establishment of the Badoglio government in Italy and the subsequent occupation by British and American forces, and then spreading to France and the smaller Balkan countries, were tragic to the extreme. These stories, transmitted via foreign telegram, were reported in Japanese newspapers, though only in a limited fashion. Japanese wartime leaders also used these real-life examples to teach the lesson that we must "win at all costs."

However, since August 15, Japan, as a "defeated nation," a label it has borne for the first time since its founding, has faced an increasingly severe and cold reality day by day.

As the chief of the organization department (editor) of Keijo Nippo, I have been in Korea for about three years, starting around the time when the reports of the Guadalcanal campaign began. Since then, amidst the continuously deteriorating circumstances up to this day, I have devoted my modest efforts to newspaper production and publishing. Looking back on this, there are countless things I want to write and say, but my pen is heavy, and progress is slow.

Now, Korea is moving away from Japanese rule and gathering collective wisdom for the construction of a new nation. It is truly a moment of joyous uprising. I can't help but celebrate for the young Korea. In contrast, we are gasping under the bitter dregs of defeat, returning to a chaotic and tumultuous Japan, sinking into the depths of agony. But let us not forget about "rebuilding Japan" and the task of rising from the depths, overcoming a thousand difficulties.

Due to my job, I never stepped out of the editorial office, let alone had the chance to do any inspections within Korea or make many influential Korean acquaintances. However, I am satisfied and take joy in saying goodbye, having known about 400,000 readers through the newspaper pages for about three years.

Light Sprouts

By Ōta Kōichi

The coldness of the desk, resonating with the warmth of the Indian summer outside the window, strikes my heart, reminding me that this is my last page as a reporter for Keijo Nippo.

Looking back, these days have been tumultuous, like being tossed in fierce waves. Even while attending press conferences at the military government office and witnessing the fresh stirrings of a new Korea being born, I was aware of the thinness of my own shadow. It was a lonely realization, but this was my last remaining duty and my greatest joy. Yet, today marks the end of my qualification to sit in that seat.

This April, I experienced two disastrous firestorms in Tokyo. Seeing sprouts emerging from the desolate burnt earth, I found myself shedding tears. Now, I must return to that scorched land, with a heart full of desolation and wandering thoughts, where the autumn wind now blows.

My current state of mind is like that desolate scorched earth. I am seeking sprouting light. I am certain that new sprouts of light are vigorously emerging in a new Japan. I must seek them out and nurture them to pave the way that we should follow.

Let's go home. Farewell, beautiful city of Seoul. May there be light sprouts in your soil too.

My Words

By Ōnuma Chiyo

If my friend waiting in a thatched hut in Shinano asks me what I learned from Korea, I would spontaneously reply, "I learned the taste of kimchi."

My time in Korea was spent in a short period suffering from catarrh, waiting to return to work and being overwhelmed by daily life. I had no leisure to explore the local historical sites, since I spent that time convalescing while reading the meager literature available.

Therefore, my life in this land felt empty, but one unforgettable thing that remained with me was the taste of kimchi. As I gradually became accustomed to its complex and varied flavors, it paralleled how I slowly assimilated into life in Korea. During that time, I became indifferent to the copious yellow dust and the pungent smell of garlic. The scent of the clay soil conveyed a sense of romance. The intense taste of kimchi served as a pleasant sedative to the intense emotions within me, leaving a lasting imprint on me due to its strength.

Though my time here was just over a year, I encountered an unfathomable rush of history. In my heart, which seeks to step into the world of contemplation, this significant event also provided a lesson that could be considered great in some sense.

In the remainder of my life, my heart will probably cherish the taste of kimchi with nostalgia, and hold an unbearable longing for the life I lived in this land for just over a year.

[Transcription]

京城日報 1945年11月1日

京城生活十年

＝思い出の幾つかを拾う＝

寺田 瑛

朝鮮生活十年を顧みると、さまざまの思い出が湧き出るのも無理はない。殊に、私としては私の新聞人生活の三分の一を費やした地である。感慨なからんとしてなき能わざる所以である。

京城日報では学芸部に一番永くいた。そんな関係で、朝鮮の文化人とも相当近づきになり、これは寧ろ意外な収穫であったといい得る。一面に毒舌家だといわれながらも、私は敵を持ったという思い出を一つも持たない。朝鮮生活に於ける私の最も大きい感銘である。今しみじみと離別の言葉をそれ等個々の人たちに捧げ得ないのは残念であるが、特にその名を挙げないにしても、それ等友人自身の胸の中には、私というものを時に応じて回想してくれる友情があるであろう。

いわゆる朝鮮文人協会というものが結成されて、当時の言葉でいえば内鮮、今の表現なら日鮮の文人が打って一丸となって進むことになった頃の思い出は特に深い。だがあの頃の同志の中に、朝鮮にも空襲必至と見抜いて逸早く内地へ引き揚げて行った人もあるし、今度の事態になるや否や、一目散に東京へ姿を消した人もあり、それが当時のリーダー格の人たちであり、また日本人であったことを思うと、やはりイザという時にこそ、その人の真価はわかるということを教えられる。文人協会時代の思い出の中でもいわゆる新体制運動をひっさげて全鮮二十四都市を分担して講演に出たことが印象に蘇える。文人協会が文人報国会になってからは、私は当時の社内事情と病後とのためについ疎遠になってしまった。

個人のことについて述べるのは憚られるが、私がひとり娘を喪ったのも京城である。生来虚弱の子でありながら、朝鮮へ来てからは一度も病気をしたことがなく、女学校卒業後は、逆に自分から進んで海軍の方の仕事を手伝う程の健康になっていたのに、かりそめの気管支炎に臥床四日、十二月二十九日の未明に呆気なく死んでしまった。しかもその時医者に診てもらったのが、彼女が京城へ来て医者にかかった最初であり、最後でもあったのだ。享年二十三であった。

私が朝鮮へ来て得たものは、数多い友人をめぐる懐かしい思い出であり、私が京城へ来て失ったものは、ただこの娘の死をめぐる人生への希望である。

私たち夫妻は、二つのリュックサックと一つの遺骨箱を携えて、不日京城を去るのであるが、互いの胸には喜悲を織りまぜた、さまざまの感情のみが去来すること否み難い。

さらば、朝鮮よ。京城よ。そして友よ。これが私の活字として残す最後の別れであることを受けられたい。（2605-10-31)

新文化の創造

中保 生

はじめてアーノルド軍政長官に会った日である。軍政庁のあの白亜の洋風建築と其の裏庭の丁度北京の紫金城を想わせるような赤い色彩の多い東洋風建築と、褐色の軍服を着ている米国の軍人と、庁舎の門前に群れている白衣の朝鮮服姿とが渾然一つに綜合されて僕の瞳に曾てない不思議な映像を描くのであった。而もそうした映像の陰からは焼いた書類の灰白い煙が漸く大空へ立ち昇っているのである。僕はふと明日の朝鮮文化の象徴を見たような心地がした。

回顧すれば、儒学にせよ、教学にせよ、或は東洋音楽にせよ、凡そ古代中世にわたる日本文化に絢爛たる光彩を添えたものの多くは大陸から渡ったのである。然し、常に其の大陸と日本とをつなぐ『橋』たる使命を果たしたのが、実に朝鮮であった。いな、『橋』というより、支那や印度に産声を挙げたものをここで培養して日本へ手渡したと解すべきものが少なくない。

仏教なぞはまさしく其の最もよい例であった。儒教にしても特に朱子学の如きは李退渓等の大哲学者によってここに大成されたのである。日本の朱子学が徳川時代あのようにすばらしい興隆を見るに至ったのも朝鮮の朱子学に負うところ頗る大なるものがあった。大義名分を説く朱子学が若しも明治維新の思想的原動力であったということにして許されるならば、おそらく明治維新の遠い淵源を朝鮮に求めなくてはならにであろう。

世界は、此の全域上は、その戦火に禍され、今後も復興工作のため十分思索の余裕をもたないが、東亜に於いて爆弾の被害の最も少なかったのが即ち朝鮮である。そうした点からいえば、朝鮮こそ、今や大東亜文化再建の一大苗床たり一大淵藪となるべき環境にあるといわなくてはならい。[illegible]自ら大成者として、東亜の文化史上に偉なる実跡を印すべき機運に恵まれたのである。

地政学的に半島を観ると、そこには幾多の見解もある。然しながら、地図を按ずれば、大陸に於いて支那とロシアとに接し海を隔てては日本と米国とに相対しつつあり、之等隣国の文化を綜合し、揚棄してここに新文化を建設せんとする企図だけでも相当の成果を収めなくてはならない。況んや、百済文化、新羅文化等は兎角あれ朝鮮本然の文化を増育することによって、更によき新文化の成長を待望することが出来るであろう。（10-31)

紙面を通じて

加藤万治

敗戦国民の惨憺なる奮闘の姿は、イタリアにバトリオ政権ができてから米英軍の進駐に始まり、更にフランス、バルカンの諸小国に拡がり、当時、外電により伝えられた悲惨極まる諸諸相は、日本新聞も細々と掲載したのである。日本の戦導者もこれ等の実相を引例して『断じて勝たねばならぬ』事を訓えた。

然るに、八月十五日以降、日本国には肇国以来始めて喫した『戦敗国』という烙印は、余りにも冷厳であり、日一日とその深刻度は加重して来たのである。

私は、京日の整理部長（編輯）として来鮮約三年、ガダルカナル戦の奏報が発表されだした頃からである。以来今日までの悪化一途の諸情勢下にあって、新聞製作や、出版の事に微力を尽くして来た。その一つについて顧みる時、書きたい事、言いたい事は山ほどもあるが、ペン重くして進まない。

いま朝鮮は日本の統治を離れ、新国家建設のため幾多の衆智が凝集されている。洵に歓喜湧起である。若き朝鮮のため慶祝堪えない。逆に我等は、敗戦の苦汁に喘ぎ、混沌極まる祖国日本へ引き揚げてゆくのだ。自ら苦悶のどん底へ落ち込んでゆくのである。だが忘れない、『再建日本』の事を。百千難を克服して深淵から立ち直る事を。

私は職場の関係で編集局から一歩も出なかった。まして鮮内視察の機もなく、知己を得た鮮人有力者も少なかった。然し四十万読者と紙面を通じて約三年相識の間柄であった事を、満足とし喜びとしてお別れをする。

光芽

太田耕一

これが京城日報の記者として与えられた最後の紙面であるという、窓外の秋は、今日は小春のあたたかさを見せているのに響いている机の冷えが、何かしみとおるほどに胸にこたえてくる。

顧みれば、はげしい波の中にもまれるような月日であった。軍政庁の会議室で新聞発表を受けている時にも、そこに新しい朝鮮が生まれつつあるみずみずしい胎動の中に居ながら、私は置かれている自分の影のうすさに気づいていた。それは、いかにも淋しい事であったが、最後に残っているたったひとつの私の仕事であり、何にもましてそれは私のよろこびであったのに、今日を限りに、私はもうその席に列する資格から離された。

私はこの四月、東京で二度の災火を受けていた。焦土の荒涼の中に萌え出るものの芽を見出して、おさなく私は涙を落していたのだが、再び私は秋風が今は流れているであろうその焦土に、落莫たる流離の思いとともに帰らねばならぬ。

今の私の心境は焦土の荒涼に似ている。私は萌えいずる光芽をもとめている。新しい光芽はきっと新しい日本にはっはっと萌えているにちがいない。それを求めて、またそれを培って、われわれの進むべき道を拓かねばならぬ。

帰去来―。

さようなら、京城の美しい街よ。その街の土にも光芽あれ。

私の言葉

大沼千代

信濃の草庵に待つ友から『朝鮮から何をまなんで来たか』と訊かれたら、私は無雑作に『キムチの味を覚えて来た』と答えるであろう。

短日月の潟留でそして仕事を待ち、生活、追われいた私には地方の古蹟を尋ねる余暇もなく、とぼしい文献の上でわずかにそれを癒やしいたといって好い。

それ故に寥々たる私の此の地での生活ではあったが、ただ一つキムチの味だけには忘れがたないものを残された。複雑多岐なその味に私が少しづつ馴染んで行ったことは、同時にこの朝鮮での生活に、私が次第に溶け込んで行ったのと同じ観を持つのである。そのような頃、私は夥しい黄塵や、大蒜の悪臭にいつか不感性になっていた。そうして埴土の香りは浪漫をつたえた。キムチの持つ強烈な味は、私のうちなる劇しいものに、快い鎮静剤の役割をも果たした。そしてその強烈さの故に私のうちに完全に烙印をのこしたのである。

一年余の歳月ではあったが、あり得ぬ歴史の怱忙にも遭遇した。観照の世界に踏み入ろうとしている私の心では、またこの一大事も或る意味では偉大といって好い程の訓戒を与えたのであった。

そこばくの私の余生において、おそらく私の心は、キムチの味になつかしさを抱き、一年余の此の地の生活に堪えがたい郷愁を持つのであろう。

Korean staff at the newly liberated Keijo Nippo Newspaper published this editorial and illustration in December 1945 denouncing the atrocities of Japanese Imperialism and repudiating the myth of ‘Japanese-Korean Unification’

For my third post that I am making during my stay in Korea, I thought it would only be fitting to give voice to some long-forgotten Korean writers who have something crucial to say about their experiences under Imperial Japanese rule. I found their editorial and illustration in the old Japanese-language newspaper archives at the National Library of Korea.

The article I'm sharing today was published on December 8th, 1945 and written by the Korean employees of the Keijo Nippo newspaper. For those unfamiliar, Keijo Nippo had been the official propaganda newspaper under the Imperial Japanese colonial regime, which had dominated Korea from 1905 to 1945. In early November 1945, the Korean employees took over the newspaper from their Japanese bosses, transforming a tool of oppression into a platform for liberation.

Though short, this editorial serves as a strong indictment against the crimes, injustices, and inhumanities perpetrated by Imperial Japan. Accompanying the editorial is a drawing that vividly illustrates the suppression of free speech (言論弾圧), forced conscription (強制徴兵), forced student soldiers (強制学兵), forced labor (強制勤労), forced requisition (強制徴用), and contributions (供出) under Japanese Imperialism (日本帝国主義).

[Translation]

Keijo Nippo (Gyeongseong Ilbo) December 8, 1945

Commemorating the End of Japan's Imperial Rule on December 8th

The Korean Nation's 'Day of Bloodshed'

When we recall December 8th, we realize that, from that day on, our Korean compatriots were bound by the iron net of Japanese imperialism, and they shed their precious blood in the sky, sea, and fields, along with their countless pure souls. The more we think about it, the more painful the bloodshed becomes, making our teeth chatter and filling us with intense emotions.

The harsh reality that drove thirty million of our compatriots to the brink of death, while falsely promoting the idea of "Japanese-Korean Unification," has clearly unfolded before our eyes. Conscription, mobilization, labor, contributions, and requisitions — all were forced upon us.

Countless many compatriots who left their fathers and were separated from their siblings and spouses have buried their angry wave of deep resentment in the lands of the Asian continent. They must now be quietly celebrating this great liberation and nation-building.

Four years have passed since the beginning of Japan's imperial invasion of the East and the Pacific War! Today, we observe December 8th at the very location where liberation occurred precisely on that day [on August 15th]! This day is one of historical significance, a day of cheers from thirty million people. Four years of hardship and endurance! How did we manage to live through all of this? We had mouths but were restrained from practicing freedom of speech, and we endured unbearable exploitation and oppression. Look at this record of blood, endured with hardships and bitterness, inflicted upon us by Japanese imperialism since that day on December 8th.

 

[Transcription]

京城日報 1945年12月8日

12月8日は日本の断末幕

朝鮮民族「流血の日」

想い起こせば、あの日十二月八日、あれから朝鮮同胞は日本帝国主義の鉄鋼網に縛られて尊い血を空に海に野に無限の純魂と共に流されたのである。ああ想えば想うほどくやしい流血であった。歯根もふるえ、熱腸九廻の思いをする。

内鮮一体という偽装の看板を高く掲げて三千万わが同胞を死の彼岸へ追い込んだ痛烈なる現実がわれわれの眼前にはつきりと展開されたではないか。徴兵も徴兵の出陣も勤労、供出、徴用すべてが強制でないものはかなかった。

父親の膝下を離れ、兄弟妻子に離別した幾多の同胞が大陸の地に怒濤の波に千秋の怨恨を埋めて、いま静かにこの大なる解放建国を祝うに違いない。

日本帝政の東洋侵略への末幕大東亜戦争から満四年！きょうこの日がちょうどその日であった解放の處に迎える十二月八日！この日は世紀的感激が燃えたつ三千万の歓呼の日である。困苦忍耐の四年！われわれはどんなにして生きて来たのか。口あれど言論の自由を拘束され酷使と圧迫に堪え難きものがあった。あの日！あの十二月八日からの日本帝政に加えられた臥薪嘗胆の血の記録を見よ。

Edit: The very last line of the transcription was corrected to あの十二月八日からの日本帝政に加えられた臥薪嘗胆の血の記録を見よ。This is to be translated as, "Look at the record of blood, endured with hardships and bitterness, inflicted upon us by the Imperial Japanese regime since December 8th."

Korean staff at Keijo Nippo took over news operations from their former Japanese bosses in Nov 1945 and then sent this message to Korean readers announcing continued publication in Japanese for the time being until Korean typefaces are ready for use

For my second post that I am making during my stay in Korea, I thought it would only be fitting to introduce you to the Korean perspectives that I unexpectedly found in the old Japanese-language newspaper archives at the National Library of Korea. This editorial message is a fascinating piece of history from November 1945, shedding light on the transitional period just after Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule. The message comes from the ethnic Korean staff of the Keijo Nippo newspaper. For those unfamiliar, Keijo Nippo had been the official propaganda newspaper under the Imperial Japanese colonial regime, which had dominated Korea from 1905 to 1945.

In this pivotal moment of history, the Korean staff had recently taken over the news operations from their Japanese superiors. They faced a unique challenge: the need to communicate with their fellow Koreans, but with limited resources to do so in their native language. Due to a shortage of Korean typefaces essential for producing newspapers in the Korean language, they found themselves in a position where they had no choice but to continue publishing in Japanese.

However, the staff wanted to convey a crucial message to their ethnic Korean readership. They sought to reassure them that, even if the articles were written in Japanese, the heart and soul of the content would remain undeniably Korean. The essence of their message was a commitment to the Korean spirit and identity, even amidst the challenges of the transitional period.

It's a poignant reminder of the complexities faced by nations in the aftermath of colonial rule and the resilience of people striving to reclaim their cultural identity.

Keijo Nippo would continue publishing until its last issue on December 11, 1945. Unfortunately, many of the surviving copies of Keijo Nippo from that month look badly damaged, including the last issue. 

[Translation]

Keijo Nippo (Gyeongseong Ilbo) November 2, 1945

Notice

Since August 15th, everything in Korea is gradually returning to our possession. In line with this, the Keijo Nippo newspaper has also returned to our possession as of today. We only regret how long overdue this return was.

Reflecting on the long journey of the Keijo Nippo newspaper over the past forty years, it is undeniable that there have been many actions that we, as Korean compatriots, could not condone. Even though we served in our duties and acted the way we did due to compulsion and pressure, we are tormented by our responsibility in all this.

At this juncture, we considered abandoning our pens and becoming the foundation stones for the establishment of the nation. However, given that certain tasks are best left to those who specialize in them, we deeply realized that the only shortcut to contribute to the construction of the new Korean state was to dedicate ourselves with sincerity in our professional field as journalists. Thus, we have picked up our pens again, which we had once put aside, and we have firmly vowed to become a driving force for the establishment of Korea.

However, due to the directives of the military government and the lack of typefaces, we have reluctantly reached a point where we will continue to publish in Japanese for the time being in this transitional period. This is something we deeply regret.

Nevertheless, even if the expressions are in Japanese, the content remains true to our Korean spirit. We sincerely hope that our thirty million Korean compatriots will understand our genuine feelings on this matter.

We vow once again! We will do our utmost to serve as the foundation stones for the establishment of Korea. We will make every effort to rectify this transitional state of publishing in Japanese as soon as possible. We earnestly request the guidance and encouragement of our thirty million Korean compatriots.

November 1, 1945

Keijo Nippo Newspaper Company

From All the Korean Employees

[Transcription]

京城日報 1945年11月2日

謹告

八月十五日を契機として、朝鮮内の凡ゆるものは我等に戻りつつある。この線に沿って『京城日報』も今日を以て我等の手に帰したが、我等はその何と遅かりしを卿つのみである。

偖て『京城日報』が過ぐる四十年間の長きに亘って歩んで来た途程に就いては、我等朝鮮同胞として許すべからざるものの多々あるは否み難い。仍って、いくらかなりとも職を奉じていた我等としては、圧力に強いられて動いて来たとはいえ、その責に悶えているのである。

此の際潔くペンを折って建国の聖なる捨石となる途もなきやと考えても見たものの、矢張り餅は餅屋で、言論人として誠を捧げて職域に奉ずるのが朝鮮の新国家建設に寄与する唯一の捷径であることを痛感し、此に更めて一度は擱いたペンを執り直し、敢えて朝鮮建国の推進力たらんと固く誓って起ち上がったのである。

然るに軍政庁の指示と活字の不備により不本意乍ら過渡期的現象として、当分間日本文を以て発刊するの已むなきに至った。これは我等としてもかえすがえすも遺憾に堪えないところである。

併し、譬え表現は日本文を藉りるとはいえ、その内包は我が朝鮮魂に偽りのないことは言うまでもない。此の点については、朝鮮三千万同胞諸氏に我等の微衷を諒せられんことを切に乞う次第である。

我等は改めて誓う！我等は、朝鮮建国の捨石として最善を竭さん。而して日本文で発刊されるという過渡期的現象を一日も速やかに是正することに、我等は最大の努力を傾けん。冀くば朝鮮三千万同胞諸氏よ！絶大の御指導と御鞭捷を賜わらんことを。

一九四五年十一月一日

京城日報社

朝鮮人従業員一同

A poignant editorial drawing showing the separation of Korea by the 38th parallel, published on November 20, 1945 by the Keijo Nippo Newspaper controlled by the ethnic Korean employees.

Heavily damaged page from a December 1945 issue of Keijo Nippo

Keijo Nippo (Gyeongseong Ilbo) was Korea's largest newspaper at its peak, boasting the best exclusive news access provided by the colonial regime, the best American printing equipment, correspondents stationed all over the world, printing from Sept. 1906 to Dec. 1945 under 3 different governments

In December 1938, Keijo Nippo newspaper published a self-promoting advertisement on a full-page spread boasting about how it is the number-one newspaper in Korea in every respect: the largest newspaper in Korea with the largest readership, the largest staff, the most financial resources, the best exclusive news access in every part of Korea, the best printing equipment with the latest state-of-the-art rotary presses imported from the U.S.A., longstanding relationships with international press agencies such as the International News Service, United Press International, and Associated Press, and correspondents stationed all over the world including in Paris, New York, Berlin, London, Davao, Hawaii, and Occupied China. Thus, the Keijo Nippo newspaper is a very valuable source of insight into the kinds of information from both inside and outside the country that Koreans might have known about during colonial rule.

In December 1938, Imperial Japan was in the middle of the vicious Second Sino-Japanese War, but it was not experiencing privations to the extent that it would experience during the Second World War, because it still managed to benefit from relatively normal world trade and foreign investment with relatively few sanctions, including from Western countries like the U.K. and the U.S. That would change over the course of the next few years, as relations with the U.S. deteriorated to the point of war. 

This photo montage has a lot of things going on, but let's parse them out. The newspaper building was a cube-shaped brick building just a block away to the north from the then Seoul City Hall (京城府庁). It housed not only Keijo Nippo, but also Maeil Sinbo, the last Korean-language newspaper to remain in Korea after Dong-A Ilbo and Chosun Ilbo were shuttered in 1940. On top of the building is the flag of Seoul, which looks like a black-outlined circle sandwiched between two clamps. On the left side of the building are some slogans: one says "Don't let your guard down after victory! (勝って兜の緒を締めよ)", while the other one says, "Long-term construction is just the beginning (長期建設はこれからだ)" On the right side of the building are the names of its three publications: the Keijo Nippo (京城日報), Keinichi Shinpo (京日新報), and Keijo Nippo Elementary School Edition (京日小学生新聞). On the left side of the photo, staff members are at their desks drafting articles, and a cameraman is taking a picture with his news camera. To the center-bottom of the photo, a man is transcribing a news report which he is listening to over the phone. Above him is a rotary press manufactured by R. Hoe & Co., and below him are bundles of printed newspapers and the delivery trucks which will deliver them to all parts of Korea. On the right side of the photo, there are some workers setting the typesets to print the newspaper editions.

I also included an advertisement for the Elementary School Edition of Keijo Nippo, which was marketed to Korean children, especially with its rather blatant use of the word "second-class national people of Japan" (日本の第二国民). It goes to show the militaristic brainwashing that Korean children received under the colonial regime. This newspaper may have also been read by Korean adults who were studying Japanese.

In September 1906, the Keijo Nippo newspaper (known as Gyeongseong Ilbo in Korean) was founded by Itō Hirobumi to be a mouthpiece of the Office of the Japanese Resident-General of Korea, which controlled Korean foreign diplomatic affairs from 1905 to 1910, when Korea was formally annexed into Imperial Japan. The newspaper was formed by merging two existing Korean newspapers together: the Hanseong Sinbo (한성신보, 漢城新報) and the Daedong Sinbo (대동신보, 大同新報). It started out as a bilingual publication printing both Korean-language editions and Japanese-language editions, but in April 1907, the Korean-language edition of Gyeongseong Ilbo was discontinued. After the annexation of Korea in 1910, Keijo Nippo became the mouthpiece of the Governor-General's Office, the Imperial Japanese colonial government which controlled Korea from 1910 to 1945. 

The newspaper managed to keep publishing for a few months after Korea gained its independence on August 15, 1945, printing its last edition on December 11, 1945. Its printing equipment was subsequently taken over by Hanseong Ilbo (한성일보, 漢城日報) in early 1946. If you look at the logo of Hanseong Ilbo, you can see that they reworked the old Keijo Nippo logo a little bit and kept a similar calligraphy style to come up with the new newspaper logo. The Hanja fonts are identical to the Kanji fonts used in Keijo Nippo.

Keijo Nippo's Korean-language sister newspaper, Maeil Sinbo, printed its last edition in November 1945, then changed its name to Seoul Shinmun and printed its first edition under its new name on November 23, 1945. Today, the Seoul Shinmun skyscraper stands on the site of the old Keijo Nippo newspaper building. 

Today, physical copies of Keijo Nippo are stored at the National Library of Korea and Seoul National University Library. Microfilm copies of Keijo Nippo can be viewed at the Newspaper Reading Room of the National Diet Library in Tokyo, but with no photoduplication available or allowed. In October 2021, an anonymous user uploaded an extensive archive of Keijo Nippo covering 1905 to 1944, appearing to be digital scans of old microfilm. I accidentally stumbled across them just as they were being uploaded. The moment I recognized their historical significance, I decided to slowly prepare transcriptions and translations of these articles and share them online. However, there are many limitations, as the entire year of 1945 is omitted, many scanned pages are in terrible shape with tears, burn marks, and holes in many places, the quality of the digital scans themselves is often bad and makes the text illegible.  The National Library of Korea does provide high-quality scans of Keijo Nippo to the public, but only for a select few issues from the early 1930s and earlier.

Currently, the copyright for Keijo Nippo is held by some murky entities. According to one bookstore website, the "Tokyo High Court and National Diet Library authorizes the reprinted The Keijo Nippo( Kyŏngsŏng Ilbo) only by the publisher, SIM Han Bo,Hanʼguk Kyohoesa Munhŏn Yŏnʼguwŏn". That is, 한국교회사문헌연구원(韓國教會史文獻研究院). The website also says that professors at Waseda University legally go after anyone who repeatedly sells pirated editions. Only the 1905-1918 issues are available for purchase, for an exorbitant 490,000 yen. When ordering, three months are required for copyright processing to be completed. Another bookstore site, Komabook, offers a 20 DVD set containing the September 2, 1915 to December 11, 1945 issues of Keijo Nippo for a grand total of 2,908,500 Japanese yen, which is about $22,000 US Dollars at current exchange rates.

It would seem to me that withholding the content of Keijo Nippo from public release behind such a high paywall and such tight copyright restrictions is not in the public interest, especially as the actions of the Imperial Japanese colonial regime in Korea is of interest to people all over the world. But maybe there is a reasonable explanation for all of this?

My hope is that more of these archives can be made digitally available online for free and then translated more widely so that viewers all over the world can learn more about this very interesting part of Korean history.

(Translation)

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) December 26, 1938

The Dignified March of Keijo Nippo

The Great Reform of Our Press Organization along the Lines of the Leap Forward for Korea and the Rebuilding of East Asia

Bathed in the dawn of the New East Asia Cooperative, the Holy Sino-Japanese War is now rushing forward into the third spring of brilliant construction. After 30 years of rule, our Korean peninsula, which has embodied the great spirit of Hakkō Ichiu of which we are proud in world history, is also in lock step with the great strides of the Holy War, and is now playing the role of a "logistics base" in both material and moral aspects as we greet the first spring of the third year of the war. Keijo Nippo, as the honored head of the press agencies of home front Korea based on Japanese-Korean unification, is mobilizing all of its functions and personnel. With the sound of its high-speed rotary press working tirelessly, Keijo Nippo is celebrating a new spring of victorious journalism together with its loyal readers.

The Keijo Nippo has walked alongside the New Korea ever since it was welcomed at the time of its annexation, and Korea has experienced thirty years of unyielding progress ever since then. We have challenged ourselves to overcome superimposed difficulties together with the Young Korea. We have fought for each day to be filled with the light of happiness and peace, and we have won the present-day by smearing on it the words: "Leap Forward!". The history of Keijo Nippo, which was inaugurated by the first Chief Superintendent Itō Hirobumi, is also the history of the new century of the Korean peninsula.

It is well known in the pages of this newspaper just how active we have been during the Second Sino-Japanese War, based on the precious past legacy of tens of thousands of Keijo Nippo staff. Needless to say, the complete coverage of the various parts of home front Korea is the exclusive domain of this newspaper alone. We have sent special correspondents to bring back blood-drenched news of frontline Imperial troops deployed on mainland China destroying Chiang Kai-shek's forces. We have established bureaus and a special telegraph network in key areas of new construction, while extending our full coverage on the situation of the dying enemy regime. In the heart of Europe and the United States, which are on the verge of being re-divided by the total collapse of the Treaty of Versailles and the outbreak of a second world war, we have established a powerful and extensive special telegraph team in cooperation with the Yomiuri Shimbun to provide vigorous and hot news. The political and economic situation in mainland Japan, which is being reorganized in various fields, is being reported to the Korean peninsula from time to time without fail by the news axes in Tokyo, Osaka, and Seoul.

Thus, Keijo Nippo, as the largest newspaper on the Korean peninsula, is preparing for a great epoch-making leap forward in 1939. Please look forward to the news reporting of Keijo Nippo, which is undergoing a great reform along the lines of the Leap Forward for Korea and the Rebuilding of New East Asia.

This photo is a montage of Keijo Nippo's news reporting activities. It shows how the news comes to the head office from all parts of Korea, mainland Japan, mainland China, and from all over the world by telegraph and telephone every moment. Then the collected news are drafted, typeset into editions, printed on a rotary press, and then delivered to loyal readers in all of Korea. Our printing plant is the best in all of Korea with respect to its functionality, and it boasts a printing capacity of 300,000 copies per hour on two customized electric high-speed presses, as well as a multi-color high-speed press (manufactured by R. Hoe & Company). Thus, our press organization, fully equipped with human and material resources, is constantly working to provide fresh news and demonstrate their power.

The best facilities in all of Korea!

The Forefront of Wartime Journalism

A powerful and unparalleled communication network

Sharing moment-by-moment world developments to loyal readers in all of Korea

A network is also in place to report on the Sino-Japanese War

In order to accurately and promptly report on the ever-changing political, economic, and social situation in the world, this newspaper has formed a communications alliance with the Yomiuri Shimbun, the leader of the Tokyo newspaper industry, to develop a special telecommunications network, and set up a lightning-like news network around the world. In other words, through a tie-up with Yomiuri Shimbun, we have bureaus (correspondents) in Paris, New York, Berlin, and London, and special correspondents in Davao and Hawaii. We have absorbed special telegrams from the International News Service, one of the world's three most prestigious news agencies, along with United Press International and Associated Press. Our communications network related to the Sino-Japanese War is as follows, and is unrivaled by any other news organization on the Korean peninsula.　

• Permanent military correspondent in Unit [redacted] Shanxi Area
• Branch office in Beijing

Keijo Nippo Elementary School Edition

No one can say, "I am an elementary school student of the shining New Year" without getting the New Year's Day issue of the Keijo Nippo Elementary School Edition. The splendor of the New Year's Day issue of the newspaper is the best New Year's gift for a growing second-class national person of Japan.

There is an assault on a pillbox with live bullets! There is a bombardment by a fighter plane! The invincible march of tanks! If we sing a military song in the red sunset and dream in a field tent, our dreams will lead us home, but if we take up our bayonets and attack in full force, the cheers of 'Banzai!' for peace in East Asia will be as high as the wind carrying the Flag of the Great Rising Sun. Don't you all want to raise Chiang Kai-shek's head with this amazingly beautiful picture Sugoroku printed in four-color offset? The New Year's Day issue is sixteen pages. That is four times the page count of a daily newspaper. It is interesting and informative. There are four times as many wonderful articles, photographs, and manga as there are in a daily newspaper.

• The Governor-General's Story
• A children's story by the famous Katō Takeo
• The two-page manga series is a kingdom of laughter!
• Chinese New Year, Mongolian New Year, a tablespread for the New Year
• What will the air battle of the future be like? It will surely be very awesome.
• New Year's Games
• The World of Science
• Test your academic ability with the New Year Achievement Test

We can only tell you just a little bit about the wonders of the New Year's Day issue. If I were to tell you about the even more beautiful colored pages, I would be in big trouble. Let's all have fun in anticipation for New Year's Day. On New Year's Day, please pick up a copy of the Keijo Nippo Elementary School Edition and be surprised at how wonderful it is, how great it is, and how much you'll love it.

Free gift: The Sugoroku of the Imperial Army's Great Victory

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1938-12-26

(Transcription)

京城日報　1938年12月26日

堂々京日の進軍

躍進朝鮮と東亜再建の線に沿い報道体制の大革新

新東亜協同体の黎明を浴びて、聖戦支那事変は、いまや輝ける建設の第三春へと突進している。統治三十年、世界史に誇る八紘一宇の大精神の体現をなし遂げたわが半島も聖業の巨歩に足並みをそろえ、物心両面において『兵站基地』の役割を果たしつつ戦捷三たびの年の初春を迎えんとしている。そして、わが京城日報は、内鮮一体を基底とせる銃後朝鮮の光栄ある報道部門の首位を担当し、機能総動員、高速度輪転機不休の響きは、戦勝ジャーナリズムのさらに新しき春を、愛読者諸賢とともに謳歌せんとしているのである。

京城日報は併合と同時に迎えた新しき朝鮮とともに歩いた。三十年不屈の前進。重畳たる困難に対して青年朝鮮と共に挑戦した。そして、幸福と平和の光りに充ちみちている今日を―各界躍進の二字にぬりつぶされた今日を闘いとったのである。初代統監伊藤博文公によって封切られた京城日報の歴史は、その儘半島新世紀の歴史である。

過去幾万の京日部隊の尊き遺産のうえに立って、事変下における本紙がいかに活発な活躍をなしているかはすでにその紙面においてよく知られたところ―銃後半島の各部面に対する取材網の完璧なる布陣はひとり本紙にのみゆるされたる独壇場であることは申すまでもなく、大陸に展開されている滅蒋の前線部隊には相次いで特派員を使いして血の滴るようなニュースを送り、新建設の要地には、支局並びに特電網を配するとともに、滅びゆく敵政権の情勢にも万全の触手を伸ばしている。ヴェルサイユ体制の全面的な崩壊によって再分割の地図を描きつつ第二の世界戦争の危機をはらむ欧米の各心臓部には、読売新聞との提携による強力拡汎なる特電陣を整備、溌剌たるホットニュースを提供している。また、各方面において再組織が行われつつある内地の政治経済情勢は、東京、大阪、京城のニュース枢軸によって刻々半島への報道に遺憾なきを期している。

かくてわが京城日報は、半島最高最大の新聞としてさらに昭和十四年における画期的な大飛躍を準備しつつある。躍進朝鮮と新東亜建設の線に沿い大革新を行いつつある京城日報の報道戦果を御期待下さい。

この写真は京城日報社の報道活動を現わしたモンタージュ写真。全鮮各地から、内地から、支那大陸から、さらに世界各地から、電信、電話に乗って刻々本社へ集まって来るニュースが原稿となり活字に組まれ、版となり、輪転機にかかって印刷され、全鮮の愛読者に新聞が配達されるまでを示しています。本社の工場機能は、全鮮一を誇るもので、二台連結の京日式電光超高速度輪転機は一時間三十万の印刷能力を有し、このほか、多色刷超高速度輪転機（アール・ホー会社製）もその能率を誇っております。こうして、人的物的に完備したわが社の報道体制は不断の活動によって、清新なるニュースを提供し、その威力を示しているのであります。

全鮮一を誇る設備！

戦時ジャーナリズムの最前線

強力無比の通信網

世界各地の動きを刻々全鮮愛読者へ

事変報道網も整備

本紙は、変転極まりない世界の政治、経済、社会情勢を正確に迅速にキャッチ報道すべく、同盟通信によるほか特電網を整備するため現在、東都新聞界の驍将読売新聞社と通信提携をなして、全世界に電光のようなニュース網を布陣しております。すなわち同社とのタイアップによりパリ、ニューヨーク、ベルリン、ロンドンに支局（特派員）、ダヴァオ、ハワイに特置員を配置するとともに、UP・APとともに世界三大通信として権威をほこるインターナショナル・ニュース・サーヴィス社の全世界各地の特電を吸収しております。また本紙の事変関係通信網は現在左の如くで、断然半島他社の追随をゆるしません。　

• 山西方面〇〇部隊に従軍記者常置
• 北京に支局

京日小学生新聞

京日小学生新聞の元旦号を手にしないで『ぼくは輝く新しき年の小学生』などとはいいません。そのすばらしさ、京日小学生新聞元旦号こそ伸びゆく日本の第二国民に贈る最上のお年玉です。

肉弾トーチカに迫る突撃あり。荒鷲の爆撃あり。戦車隊の無敵進軍あり。赤い夕日に軍歌を歌って露営の夢を結べば夢は故郷へも通うが銃剣をとりなおして総攻撃にうつれば東洋平和の万歳は大日章旗の旗風とともに高い。オフセット四色刷の驚くほど美しい絵双六で蒋介石の首級をあげたいとは、皆さん、思いませんか。元旦号は十六ページ。それは日頃の新聞の四倍の分量です。面白い面白いためになる。すばらしい記事が、写真が、まんががひごろの四倍ぶんもあるのです。

• 総督様のお話
• 童話は有名な加藤武雄先生の作
• 二頁一ぱいのまんがはこれこそ面白い笑いの王国
• 支那のお正月、蒙古のお正月。お正月づくし。
• 未来の空中戦はどんなものか？さあ、どんな凄いものでしょう。
• お正月の遊戯
• 科学の世界
• 新年学力テストで皆さんの学力をためしてごらんなさい。

元旦号のすばらしさはホンのチョッピリだけおしらせしてもこのとおりです。この上なお美しい色刷ページのことなどおしらせしたら大へんです。皆さん元旦を楽しく待ちましょう。そして元旦に京日小学生新聞を手にとって『すばらしいな』『すごいね』『だからぼくは京日小学生新聞が大好きなんだ』と、びっくりして下さい。

おまけ：皇軍大勝双六