This article is a speech that the Imperial Japanese colonial security chief broadcast in 1944 to all the patriotic groups of Korea, which all Koreans belonged to. Each patriotic group leader would have assembled all their group members together for a mandatory regular meeting, and turned on the radio at 8:00 p.m. to force them to listen to this stern speech, warning them against spreading fake news. Basically, most Koreans were forced to listen to this threatening speech.
One very bizarre rumor that this security chief mentions is about a newly born baby cow with a human head which said that Japan would win the war by September 1944, and then promptly died. The name of the baby cow was Geon (건/件), named after the Chinese character 件 which consists of the human radical 人 and the cow radical 牛. Geon's name was invoked in debt acknowledgment documents, perhaps to swear in the name of Geon that the debt will be repaid, since Geon was supposed to be a truthful creature. This rumor apparently spread across Korea and even into mainland Japan.
Patriotic Groups (JP: aikoku-han, KR: aeguk-ban, 愛國班) were neighborhood cells which functioned as the local arm of the Korean Federation of National Power (国民総力朝鮮連盟, 국민총력조선연맹), the single ruling party of colonial Korea. They typically consisted of a few households, led by a Patriotic Group leader, who normally acted as a mini-tyrant micromanaging the lives of everyone within the Patriotic Group. That included things like rationing food and goods, enforcing mandatory State Shinto prayer times and shrine visits, 'volunteering' laborers upon the colonial government's request, arranging marriages, holding mandatory Japanese language classes, spying on 'ideological criminals', etc.
(Translation)
Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) April 11, 1944
Don't get carried away by rumors!
An enemy plot more terrifying than military force
Broadcast to the regular meetings: Proclamation by Mr. Yagi, Security Section Chief
At 8:00 p.m. on April 10, Chief Yagi, the head of the Governor-General's Office Security Section, made a broadcast from the Seoul Broadcasting Station to the regular meetings of the Patriotic Groups, emphasizing the main points as follows: 'Don't get carried away by false rumors!'
Security Chief Yagi
Some may think that there is no need now to repeat the statement 'Don't get carried away by false rumors!', but looking at the recent situation in Korea, we see that trivial 'false rumors' are flying everywhere and spreading. People are being misled by them and committing various unethical acts that break the wartime posture without a care in the world. This is the reality of the situation.
Many have been punished for this. The enemy is not confined only to those who take up their guns and challenge us to war. Those who spread rumors and mislead the public are also clearly the enemy. They are enemies to be feared more than any military force, for nothing destroys the morale of the people more quickly than rumors, and nothing inhibits military morale more quickly than rumors. Rumors are a formless and sharp weapon that can be used in ideological warfare, because they confuse people's thinking and destroy their readiness to cooperate in war, thereby seriously affecting the completion of the Holy War.
Our empire is poised to be absolutely invincible in armed warfare, and there is no need whatsoever to worry. The key to victory in future battles will depend solely on the victory or defeat of the people in ideological warfare and war production.
However, when it comes to the people's attitudes toward this ideological warfare, regrettably, there are still some points that cannot be said to be perfect. As I mentioned earlier, the reality is that there are many rumors being spread throughout every part of Korea by all social classes, so it cannot be said that the entire nation has a firm belief in victory.
They are carelessly saying things that anyone would consider to be false rumors that are far removed from the truth. Based on these false rumors, they hoard and panic buy in a hurry, they are reluctant to offer their goods for sale, or they hide their goods.
It is truly regrettable that there is no end to the number of individualists who are only concerned with their own well-being. Those who take advantage of the Japanese people's relaxed and trusting nature to spread false rumors in an attempt to disturb their thinking should be called national traitors, working as pawns of the enemy, leading their thoughts into confusion, and sabotaging the Greater East Asia War. These are unforgivable acts at a time of national emergency in the autumn.
One of the most boring and trivial recent rumors is this: "There was once an animal named Geon (건/件) which had the body of a cow and the head of a human. When it was born, it said that the war will end with Japan's victory in September, whereupon it immediately died. Geon would never tell a lie. Writing 'Just like Geon' on a debt acknowledgment form is never a mistake. Geon made a vow with certainty, so the war will probably be over in September, just as Geon said." That rumor spread all over the place, so that Geon was allegedly born in Busan, then born in Wonsan and Seongjin [now Kimch'aek, North Korea]. Even in mainland Japan, Geon was also born in Nagasaki and Kagoshima. This rumor spread so much, that there were people writing letters about it.
The feeling that the war will be over comes from the wish that it will be over soon. They will feel a sense of relief, and their hearts will start to relax. However, in the worst case scenario, if the war is not over by September, and their expectations are not met, it can be said that it is not impossible for people to feel disappointed and even pessimistic about the war. In some regions, there is a saying, "This year is a good harvest year, but there will be an epidemic of bad diseases. To avoid this, you should immediately make and eat adzuki bean porridge." This superstitious rumor has caused a great deal of confusion among the people, who were panic buying glutinous rice and adzuki beans.
These are just trivial examples, but the results are truly horrifying. If the enemy were to spread counter-propaganda about daily life and the war situation that sound like the truth, and people fall for it and start spreading false rumors, then it would be a serious problem. Even if this is not the case, the number of groups buying goods will suddenly increase due to such rumors as "matches will run out," "the price of cigarettes will rise," "clothing will be placed under a ticket rationing system," and "miso and soy sauce will be rationed". What if this is the enemy's plot?
Even if it is not a plot by the enemy, to be misled by false rumors and do such a thing on one's own is clearly to fall into the enemy's hands. If the crafty Americans and the British knew about this, they might stick out their red tongues in the shadows and punish the honest Japanese with their own hands. Each and every citizen must be very vigilant.
No matter what false rumors fly, no matter when a shortage of goods may come, as long as we have the Japanese spirit and the Yamato spirit, we will not be misled by this and we will not complain or grumble. Right now, we must only think of winning the war. If only we cooperate in every way possible to win the war, that is all that is necessary. Those who forget to cooperate in this way and act in their own self-indulgent way are national traitors who have broken the war posture. It is safe to say that they are enemy people, and they must be dealt with firmly.
What will be left after defeat in war? We will only become slaves of the enemy. War is now approaching closer and closer to us. It is literally dreadfully intense, and the generals on the front lines are engaged in a bloody struggle to the death. Our relatives have been honorably called to fight for the sake of their Emperor, for the sake of Imperial Japan, and they are fighting with a grim determination to win this war, even if their bodies are shattered to pieces.
We who defend the home front must win. If we forget the feelings of these generals during this war and are misled by false rumors into committing immoral acts, we will not only be sorry to the generals on the front lines, but we will also completely lose the war on the home front.
Let me repeat this again. The enemy is desperately waging ideological warfare. We must be careful not to fall for this and become national traitors ourselves.
This brief 1944 article is about a well-connected 24-year-old Korean woman named Yi Hui-jun (이희준/李禧準) who leveraged her connections with her powerful grandfather, Yi Hae-chang (이해창/李海昌) from the elite aristocratic Korean collaborator class, to land a comfortable job as a patriotic group leader of a patriotic group in an up-scale neighborhood of Sajik-dong, which was home to the former royal Tae family clan.
Yi Hui-Jun
The Tae family clan was apparently privileged enough to retain its family customs and traditions even while the language and culture of the rest of the Korean population was being suppressed by the Imperial Japanese regime.
Patriotic Groups (JP: aikoku-han, KR: aeguk-ban, 愛國班) were neighborhood cells which functioned as the local arm of the Korean Federation of National Power (国民総力朝鮮連盟, 국민총력조선연맹), the single ruling party of colonial Korea. They typically consisted of a few households, led by a Patriotic Group leader, who normally acted as a mini-tyrant micromanaging the lives of everyone within the Patriotic Group. That included things like rationing food and goods, enforcing mandatory State Shinto prayer times and shrine visits, 'volunteering' laborers upon the colonial government's request, arranging marriages, holding mandatory Japanese language classes, spying on 'ideological criminals', etc.
But as a privileged Korean family clan, the Tae family clan would have probably gotten a pass on the most onerous obligations, like mandatory labor duty for things like manure collection. However, they apparently still had to perform emergency response training, which would have included things like fire extinguishing drills, first aid, and air raid drills.
As corrupt and nepotistic as their arrangement was, it would have been advantageous at least as far as Hui-jun and the Tae family were concerned. Hui-jun would be managing a group of privileged Koreans who were generally friendly towards the colonial regime, so they would have been pretty cooperative, making her job easier. In return, the Tae family would get a patriotic group leader who was from a similar background as them, so they could be sure that she would be relatively gentle on them. Perhaps Hui-jun actually married into the Tae family, since she is described as a bride. That would have made her a patriotic group leader of her in-laws, which would have made an interesting dynamic.
This got me curious about what kind of Korean man was powerful enough to pull strings in the Imperial Japanese government to secure his granddaughter a cushy job. Unfortunately for me personally, most of the available historical information online was in Korean, but I did find one Japanese language article about him, so I'm using that to share my findings about him.
Yi Hae-chang was born on October 15, 1865 in Pocheon, Gyeonggi-do, as the 13th generation descendant of Deokheung Daewongun, a famous King of Joseon who lived from 1530 to 1559. In 1889, he passed the Korean version of the grueling Imperial Chinese Keju Examinations to become a government bureaucrat in Yi Dynasty Korea. He steadily moved up in the government bureaucracy, and in 1904 he became a Panyun (Governor) of Seoul (then called Hanseongbu). He continued receiving Yi Dynasty honors and promotions through 1907. After Korea was annexed by Imperial Japan in 1910, he received the noble title of Marquis to enter the Korean collaborator aristocratic elite. He subsequently made some very powerful connections in Imperial Japanese business circles, and from 1923 to 1928, he served as an executive at Hansung Bank. He owned a lot of farmland in Gyeonggi-do. He died on March 2, 1945.
Scrolling down, you will see a raw Korean-language printout of Yi Hae-chang's entry in the Encyclopedia of Pro-Japanese Collaborationists in Korea (친일인명사전), which I am posting as it appeared on the Android app version of this book.
(Translation)
Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) April 12, 1944
The quintessential patriotic group leader
A married granddaughter of a Marquis, Mrs. Yi of Sajik-dong
This is a story of a married granddaughter of a Marquis,who broke the perverse custom of living a secluded life as a Korean aristocrat, and fought bravely as a patriotic group leader.
The 24-year-old Mrs. Yi Hui-jun (이희준/李禧準), the married granddaughter of the Marquis Yi Hae-chang (이해창/李海昌) and a resident of 262 Sajik-dong, Jongno-gu, is hard at work dealing with preparations for the festivals held more than 30 times a year and the household chores of an aristocratic family that still retains the family customs of the Tae clan. It was last summer that she boldly stood up to become the leader of the Fourth Patriotic Group of the Fifth Team of Sajik-dong with her grandfather's approval. She wanted to do something to serve her country, realizing that countless hands were needed now to win the war, which was getting more and more intense.
Since then, she has been working hard, pouring her heart into the distribution of goods, the allocation of bonds, and care for the members of the patriotic group. Patriotic Group Leader Yi said,
"I thought I would spend the rest of my life buried in my own private life, but to my surprise, my grandfather understood me well and I was able to serve my country, albeit indirectly. The hardest thing is that we have not yet completed basic training, so our team members are not yet able to act in a disciplined manner during emergency response training. It is not easy, but we have only just embarked on this journey. We will grit our teeth and do our best."
1865 년 11 월 15일 경기도 포천에서 태어났다. 본관은 전 주, 자는 배언(拜言)이댜 1889 년 12월 알성시(謁聖試) 병 과(丙科) 42위로 합격해 홍문관 교리에 제수되었다.1892 년 5월 사간원 대사간에 임명되어 1895 년 8월 장례원 종정 사장(宗正司長), 1896 년 12월 봉상사 부제조, 1897 년 8월 강화부윤, 1899 년 8월 태복사장, 1900 년 2월 봉상사장 등 을 거쳐 5월에는 장례원 장례를 겸임했다.1900 년 9 월, 강 화부윤으로 있을 때 강화도 정족산성(鼎足山城) 사고(史 庫)에 보관돼 있던 실록(實錄) 일부를 잃어버린 책임으로 전남 지도군 고군산(古群山)으로 3 년 유배형에 처해졌다 가 실록을 잦게 되어 10월에 사면되었다.1901 년 10월부터 1903 년 8월까지 여러 자례 비서원승을 지냈고, 1904 년 10 월 한성부 판윤에 임명되었다.1904 년 11 월 4일 장산도정 (昌山都正)에 봉해졌다가 다음 날 장산군(昌山君)에 봉해 졌다.
1908 년 8월 기호흥학회 잔무부(贊務部) 특별주무원(特別主務員)으로 활동하면서 12월부터 특별찬성회원으로 1500환율 매달 25환씩 나눠 기부하여 부족한 재정율 도왔 다 같은 해 10월 일본적십자사 총회에서 특별사원에 위족 되었고, 11 월 대한산림협회 명예회원으로 잠여했다. 대한산 림협회는 일제가 전국의 산림 측량 등을 목적으로 설지한 단 제로 일본인 측량기사를 조빙해 산림 측량 등을 비롯한 산 림사업을 주관했다. 같은 해 12월 자지단제인 한성부민회의 하부단제로 인달방(仁達坊)적선방(積善坊)의 방호1(坊會) 조직을 위한 발기인으로 잠여했다.
합병 직후인 1910 년 10월 〈조선귀족령〉 에 따라후작작 위를 받았다. 같은 해 11 월 ‘조선귀족 일본관광단’의일행으 로 전황의 생일인 천장절(天長節) 연회에 조대받고 천황이 하사하는 주병(酒瓶)을 받았다. ‘조선귀족 일본관광단'은 조 선총독부가 비용 전액을 후원하여 일본 전황에게 사은의 뜻을 표하기 위해 조직되었다.1911 년 1 월 은사공재 16 만 8000원을 받았고, 2월에는 종독 관저에서 열린 작기본서봉 수식(爵記本書捧受式)에 의복을 갖주어 잠석했다.1912 년 8월 한국병합기념장을 받았고, 12월 종4위에 서위되었다. 1915 년 7월 조선총독부 주도로 식민지배를 정당화하고 시 정사업을 선전하기 위한 시정 5 년기념 조선물산공진회 경성 협찬회의 유공회원(有功會員)으로 기부했다.1915 년 11 월 다이쇼(大正)천황 즉위기념 대례기념장율 받았고, 1917 년 12월 정 4위로 승서(陞敍)되었다.1918 년 8월 경성구제회 (京城救濟會)에 기부했다.
1919 년 1 월 고종의 국장(國葬)과 1926 년 4월 순종의 국 장 때 종적집사를 맡았다.1923 년 1 월 주식회사 한성은행 (漢城銀行) 제 35 회 정기 주주종회에서 감사역에 선줄되어 1928 년까지 재임했다.1926 년 6월부터 1935 년까지 주식 회사 선일지물(鮮一紙物) 감사를 지냈다• 1924 년 1 월 종3 위로 승서되었고, 1928 년 11 월 쇼와(昭和)전황 즉위기념 대례기념장을 받았다.1929 년 9 월 도박과 아편 등으로 몰락 해 가는 조선 귀족들의 파산율 구호하기 위해 조직된 재단법 인 장복회(昌福會)에서 1930 년 1 월 생활보조비로 지급한 교부금 250원을 받았다.1937 년 6월 현재 경기도 양주와 연전 일대에 각각 논밭 합계 30정보(町步 : 약 9 만 평) 이상 을 소유한 대지주였다. 같은 해 8월 조선종독부가 중일전쟁 이후 시국인식을 강화하기 위해 마련한 시국간담회에 잠석 했다 1939 년 11 월 조선총독부의 지원으로 전국 유림단제 를 연합하여 총후봉공을 위한 정신운동에 나서도록 족구하 기 위해 조직된 조선유도연합회(朝鮮儒道聯合會)의 잠여 (參與)에 선출되었댜 1940 년 11 월 기원 2600 년축전 기념 식전 및 봉축회에 조대받고 기원 2600 년축전기념장을 받았 다. 1941 년 10월 종2위로 후작 작위를 유지하다가 1945 년 3월 2일 사망했다. 특지(特旨)로 정 2위에 주승되었다. 장남 이덕주(李德柱)가 1914년 6월 사자(嗣子)로 종 5위에 서위되어 사령서를 받았고, 이해창이 사망한 날에 호주를 상 속했다 해방 후, 1949 년 5월 반민특위에서 습작(襲爵)한 당연범으로 조사를 받았으나 특별검찰부에서 무혐의 저분 을 받았다. 자남 이흥주(李興柱)의 저는 중주원 부찬의 홍우 석(洪祐晳)의 딸로서 애국금자회 간사를 지낸 홍승원(洪承 嫄)이다.
This is my translation and transcription of six fictional stories from Keijo Nippo, a propaganda newspaper and mouthpiece of the government of Japan-colonized Korea. They have never been republished or translated before, to the best of my knowledge. Ever since someone dumped these old newspaper issues in the Internet Archive last October, I have been slowly translating and posting select articles at various subreddits to share my findings with the wider community.
'Yōko versus Hoshiko' was a Keijo Nippo newspaper serial featuring fictional educational dialogues pitting Yōko, the 'good' Korean woman who is selfless and cares about others, against Hoshiko, the 'bad' Korean woman who is selfish, greedy, and only cares about herself, as they argue about the correct way to live their daily lives governed by the Patriotic Groups of wartime Seoul. It's a very interesting glimpse into the everyday lives of Koreans in 1944 Seoul. Keijo Nippo was more than just a newspaper - it also functioned like a textbook to spread propaganda throughout Korea, so chances are that, all over Korea, each Patriotic Group leader talked with their followers about Yōko and Hoshiko during their group meetings.
Yōko Higashi and Hoshiko Nishino are allegorical names. The Yō in Yōko is the Chinese character 陽 (the sun), or the yang in the Chinese yin-yang concept. Higashi literally means "East", so her name could be translated as Sunny East, representing the Japanese Rising Sun and the goodness of East Asia.
In contrast, the Hoshi in Hoshiko literally means "Star", and Nishino literally means "West field" in Japanese, so her name could be translated as Star Westfield, representing the night sky, or darkness, and also alignment with the 'evil' West. Hoshiko peppers her speech with English words like 'all mighty' and 'hiking'. She is accused of harboring liberal thoughts (the belief in human freedom) and having hedonistic attitudes that come from Britain and the United States. She is an entitled Korean Karen who abuses her personal influence and turns to the black market to get extra food rations and goods, and stiffs the bike couriers who deliver her shopping home from the stores.
Patriotic Groups (JP: aikoku-han, KR: aeguk-ban, 愛國班) were neighborhood cells which functioned as the local arm of the Korean Federation of National Power (国民総力朝鮮連盟, 국민총력조선연맹), the single ruling party of colonial Korea. They typically consisted of a few households, led by a Patriotic Group leader, who acted as a mini-tyrant micromanaging the lives of everyone within the Patriotic Group. That included things like rationing food and goods, enforcing mandatory State Shinto prayer times and shrine visits, 'volunteering' laborers upon the colonial government's request, arranging marriages, holding mandatory Japanese language classes, spying on 'ideological criminals', etc.
The Patriotic Group leaders were often corrupt, enriching themselves and their friends and families at the expense of the rest of the group members. Many Koreans filed complaints to report such leaders, but it's unclear whether this had any effect on reducing corruption.
It should be noted that former Patriotic Group leaders were among the first to be targeted for reprisals following Korean Independence in August 1945 - many of their homes were set on fire, as witnessed later by incoming American soldiers who were initially confused as to what was going on.
(Translation)
Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) April 12, 1944
Yōko and Hoshiko
A patriotic group leader who embezzles rations
This is a treacherous act, let's correct this
Yōko Higashi and Hoshiko Nishino are two women who will sometimes appear in this column.
◇Yōko Higashi is an honest girl with a kind heart, who takes care of others with kindness, gives her all teaching others, and is loved by everyone.
Yōko Higashi
◇Hoshiko Nishino is a narrow-minded, selfish, and conceited woman. She is a woman who turns to the black market, talks behind people's backs, and is hated by everyone for being the 'gossip general' who always spreads gossip around the water well. We see people like Yōko and Hoshiko on the trains, at the grocery stores, at the seafood stores, in the kitchens, in government offices, and at work everywhere. Indeed, there are times when Yōko and Hoshiko, who are polar opposites, are in conflict with each other inside our own hearts.
Hoshiko Nishino
In such cases, we must never let Hoshiko defeat us. Let us drive Hoshiko away from our hearts and from our surroundings, and let every one of us become like Yōko to build a bright, righteous, and strong posture on the home front.
Hoshiko: Well, it's been a while, Yōko. I've just become a patriotic group leader!
Yōko: Well, you must be very busy. I really appreciate your hard work.
Hoshiko: No, it's better to have the goods roll in than to be busy.
Yōko: Well, what do you mean by 'the goods rolling in'? What kinds of things 'roll in' when you become a patriotic group leader?
Hoshiko: All sorts of goods will roll in. The goods that are rationed to the patriotic group are not necessarily distributed to all of the members of the patriotic group. There are some households who say they don't have charcoal these days, but you should come to my place. I have lots of charcoal at home.
Yōko: Really? Well, you mustn't do that. You will be arrested by the Economic Police. First of all, if you do such an unscrupulous thing, your neighbors will be annoyed, and it would be a disgrace to us women who protect the home front.
Hoshiko: You are such a good person! But if there are no perks to the job, no one will want to become a patriotic group leader.
Yōko: It is because of people like you that there will always be a black market. Let's break off our friendship! I really want you to put that kind of thinking aside, and work for the good of everyone. Please be a really good patriotic group leader. First and foremost, the black market must be eliminated on the home front. To do this, I think we women should be the first to take the initiative in eliminating the black market. Really, please don't do anything bad.
Despite Yōko's earnest pleas, Hoshiko left with a cold look on her face, saying goodbye and leaving.
The traitors who disturb the rationing of goods on the home front
When we mention that your 'face' is not good in this column, we don't mean that you have a crooked nose or a big mouth. What we mean is 'face', as in using your face to your advantage, or the abuse of personal power.
Yōko: Oh, that's such a rarity! I haven't eaten a yōkan in such a long time. Where did you get it?
Hoshiko: Hee hee hee! I wonder how I got it!? I also have some monaka! It's filled with so much red bean paste. But I didn't want to serve it up all at once, or else your eyes will get dizzy. So, I'm saving some for later.
Yōko: Really? You also got monaka? That's amazing, Hoshiko. When you go out a lot, you can find anything, can't you?
Hoshiko: Oh, no. In the past, it was said that even a dog will eventually run into a pole if it keeps walking. Now that is no longer true. No amount of walking will do any good.
Yōko: Then, what did you do to find these things?
Hoshiko: By using my face.
Yōko: What do you mean, your face?
Hoshiko: Oh, you're so slow! What I mean is, I used my face to my advantage! Look, remember what happened at Jingū Stadium? Someone used their face to gain admission.
Yōko: What?!
Hoshiko: Don't be surprised. Nowadays, you can't get anything without wielding your face (influence). It's a common saying these days. [In the order of importance], number one is face, number two is the black market, and number three is money.
Yōko: So money is last place?
Hoshiko: That's right. There has never been a time when money is more worthless than now. No matter how much money you have, you can't get things easily. But although money is the reason the black market exists, money always yields to the power of face. Face, face, face! Face is all mighty!
Yōko: But you see, Hoshiko, is it really right to use your face and the black market in this way?
Hoshiko: What?
Yōko: This is the way I feel. Yes, the rationing system is not so perfect in Seoul right now, or in Korea for that matter. We are in a transitional period. Even I know very well that in transitional periods, the black market and the abuse of personal influence are common, as they apparently were in mainland Japan. But that doesn't mean it's a good thing.
Hoshiko: …
Yōko: I know that in a place like the Korean peninsula, people from mainland Japan have to take pride in themselves and try to be role models for the Korean people. Yes, it's inconvenient to not have things. But they say, 'Don't be concerned about scarcity, but be concerned about inequality.' When someone abuses their personal influence or turns to the black market and buys up things, then there are less things to go around for the other people, right? In this transitional period, isn't it true that everyone should be more careful and yield to each other to compensate for the inadequacies of the system? As long as everyone has that spirit, I don't think there will be any complaints or dissatisfaction. I often hear rumors of embezzled rations at certain department stores, or snack supplies diverted into the black market at certain stores, but I think there is a need for such companies to be corrected. Is there anything I'm saying that's wrong?
Hoshiko: Before, I thought that using my face was a very good thing, but now I'm going to think about it again a little more.
I was so impressed by Yōko-san's reasonable words. I almost did get myself into a terrible situation. If this young lady had not given me that warning, I would have had nothing to eat by now, not even a snack.
It is true, as that lady had said to me, that theory and practice do not always coincide. Even if something makes sense in theory, it requires rethinking when it comes to what to do in the present moment. No matter how much I, Yōko, and a few others may talk endlessly about righteous behavior, what difference does it make?
X-th month, X-th day
Yesterday, I bumped into Yōko on my way home after buying 50 eggs from the black market. She looked at me as if she was disappointed in me. I told her, "You're going to lecture me again about using my face or turning to the black market, aren't you?" I continued, "I'll listen to your lectures about having a righteous heart, but no way am I going to be hung out to dry". To this, she looked at me with her round eyes and said, "Your thoughts are apparently still carrying around the residues of liberalism!" She was making me out to be a fool! What's the use of being righteous, if you can't eat?
X-th month, X-th day
Today I brought five eggs to my neighbor, and she gave me a little bit of ham in return. My neighbor is a lady who is a master of the black market, so she always has a large stockpile of rare things. I must put more energy into this … .
X-th month, X-th day
I went to the department store office with my neighbor Eiko, and the clerk gave us ration tickets for tabi (split-toed socks) and stockings. At another store, there was a mild-mannered old gentleman who seemed to have a good-looking face. He smiled at Eiko and handed her a ticket for Japanese sweets, saying, "I have one left over, so I'll give it to you". When I asked Eiko if she could introduce me to this old gentleman, she said, "No, no, no. If I introduce him to a master of personal influence and the black market like yourself, he won't come back to me". I felt so offended.
Hoshiko, the bad woman who has appeared in this column for only the fourth time, is already being bombarded with outrage from all sides, with things said like "Hoshiko needs to be shot!" So, even the brazen Hoshiko is starting to show signs of remorse. Hoshiko was not the only one who was shamelessly pursuing her black market activities to exclusively protect her own lifestyle, to indulge her own self-interest and greed through embezzlement and the abuse of personal influence, and to be absorbed in the pursuit of daily necessities. Since there were many people around Hoshiko who continued such acts, Hoshiko had also become a player in this field before she even knew it. Hoshiko was somewhat depressed today and avoided going shopping.
Yōko woke up early and was sweeping the road at the gate when a neighbor came out with her bamboo broom.
She greeted Yōko with a morning greeting, "You're up early, aren't you, Yōko?" Then she said,
"There is apparently a bad person named Hoshiko who is on the news, but the young wife of a patriotic group leader at XXX-chō looks just like Hoshiko! She looks so much like Hoshiko, that the group members finally got angry and said, 'We can't trust a patriotic group leader who is with someone who looks just like Hoshiko, so we're going to ask you to step down.' So, they finally forced the patriotic group leader to step down. Isn't this a truly delightful story?"
"I think our patriotic group needs to get along with each other more and more. I hope more people like yourself, Yōko, will take the lead, and lead the way. There is a saying, 'Don't be concerned about scarcity, but be concerned about inequality.' The other day, when apples were distributed, one apple was cut into eight pieces and distributed to three stubborn and inflexible wives, who insisted that the apples be divided into portions for each household, without considering the number of family members. I don't know what to make of it."
"The apples had neither flavor nor shape. If we had the desire to help each other and yield to each other, we wouldn't have to waste time and money like this. It seems that the three wives, who are the elders and advisors of this patriotic group, are no different from Hoshiko."
Yōko laughed and said, "From now on, when it comes to rationing, we will take the lead and give those rations to the elderly and the children, while we will deprive ourselves of those rations. It is useless to respond with logic to those who are greedy and unreasonable. Let's wake them up by putting things into practice a little."
"I'm just picking one flower" is an attitude that comes from the U.S. and Britain
Don't pick and ruin the flowers! Follow the etiquette for flower viewing
The sky was beautifully clear and the mountains were filled with fragrant flowers in springtime.
Hoshiko: Yōko, look! Look at those beautiful Forsythia flowers over there! Since this is a special hiking trip, let's each pick one flower to take home as souvenirs.
Yōko: No, no! Flowers and trees that bloom in the fields and mountains are beautiful only when they are in their natural habitat, and to pick them would be like destroying the mountains. Then what would be the point of hiking here?
Hoshiko: But there are cherry blossoms and rhododendrons blooming all over the mountain here and there. Even if you pick just one flower, the beauty of the mountain will not change. It is because I love the beauty of nature that I try to enjoy it at home.
Yōko: I understand your love of beauty, but that is the wrong kind of beauty. Imagine a thousand people climbing this mountain, who are each willing to pick one flower just for themselves. What will happen to the mountain then?
Hoshiko: You're being unreasonable. I'll never climb a mountain with you again.
Yōko: Think more carefully and calmly. You see, these poor cherry tree twigs have been thrown away along this road. There are people who are not satisfied with the flowers they hand-picked from the mountains, and don't even take them home with them. It's a nuisance to see them selfishly waving those big branches around on the train, and it's not a very admirable sight. What is the beauty in arranging stolen flowers in your home?
Hoshiko: How rude of you to say that it's stealing! You don't have the delicate feelings to pick a single flower.
Yōko: I think that breaking off branches from the tree in the mountains and taking them home is similar to black market activities. If there is even a piece of pureness and morality in your heart, those tantalizing Forsythia flowers will bloom beautifully again next year to comfort our hearts. This is not just about mountain flowers and trees. I believe that there is still much of that British and American mindset in our personal lives that is only concerned with our own personal pleasure, as long as it is convenient for us. We should definitely liquidate this mindset at this time.
(Note: In the days before widespread car ownership, shoppers at stores would sometimes have bike couriers deliver their goods home.)
(Note about currencies: Each morning edition of the Keijo Nippo of 1942 was priced at 6 sen. Today, each morning edition of Asahi Shimbun is priced at 160 yen. For this I will use the conversion of 140 Japanese yen to the US Dollar in today' money.)
Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) April 28, 1944
Yōko and Hoshiko
You must carry your own luggage!
When you use a deliveryman, you must pay the stipulated fee
The earnest and homely Yōko contrasts with Hoshiko, whose character still bears the residue of liberalism. Each exudes her own idiosyncrasies in their daily lives. When they go out to the Honmachi District [the area just south of Myeongdong Cathedral] to do a little shopping, Hoshiko, who is not willing to work and only cares about how the whole world sees her, calls a deliveryman and says, "Please take this to my house, will you?" Yōko, dressed in her Monpe work pants, happily carries a pile of her patriotic group's rations in her hands.
"Hoshiko, we are in the middle of a war. You have to cut down on waste", said Yōko to Hoshiko, but her words only landed on deaf ears. Though the maximum service charge of a deliveryman is fixed, Hoshiko is still poisoning herself and others around her by entertaining her vanity of flipping through wads of money the old-fashioned way and offering a small gratuity.
Hoshiko speaking with a deliveryman (bike courier).
Yōko: Hoshiko, do you know how much it costs to make a delivery in one zone?
Hoshiko: What do you mean by one zone? I pay just as they tell me to when it's time to pay the fee.
Yōko: How can you be so sloppy? One zone is based on two kilometers from the place where you deposited the delivery, and this fee is 20 sen ($3.81 USD today). For each additional kilometer, 5 sen ($0.95 USD today) is added.
Hoshiko: Well, is it that cheap according to the terms and conditions…?
Hoshiko looked surprised as if she just learned about this. (But who is the one who disrupts business by not tipping every time a delivery is made?)
Yōko: However, that's just for regular deliveries. For special deliveries, items loaded on bicycles are charged 25 sen ($4.76 USD today) per kilogram, and items that can only be carried by a rear bicycle cargo trailer are also charged 40 sen ($7.62 USD today) or less per kilogram. For cash deliveries, the charge is 20 sen ($3.81 USD today) or less for a delivery of up to 10 yen ($190 USD today). For each additional yen ($19 USD today), an additional charge of 5 sen ($0.95 USD today) or less is added.
Hoshiko: Since I didn't know this, I used to worry a lot when I asked for cash deliveries. Besides, on bad weather days, you may be charged a lot.
Yōko: That's because there is an after-hours service, and if you make a request between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. the next morning, if you make a request in the rain or snow, or if you make a round-trip delivery, you will be charged double the amount of each charge.
Hoshiko: Thank you very much for deepening my social knowledge. But nowadays, courier companies don't come immediately after you call them.
Yōko: That's why you have to carry everything yourself.
This is my translation and transcription of a news article from Keijo Nippo, a propaganda newspaper and mouthpiece of the government of Japan-colonized Korea. It has never been republished or translated before, to the best of my knowledge. Ever since someone dumped these old newspaper issues in the Internet Archive last October, I have been slowly translating and posting select articles at various subreddits to share my findings with the wider community.
This is a typical piece of what I might call a ‘stunned Korean’ propaganda story – a Korean travels to mainland Japan for the first time and is stunned by how ‘superior’ Japan is compared to Korea. Articles covering the trips of Korean comfort women to mainland Japan also follow a similar pattern. Given the similarities of these flattering comments to each other, we could surmise that the interviewed Koreans already knew what kinds of answers the colonial interviewers were expecting to hear.
(Translation)
Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) April 26, 1944
The key is sincere service Let’s follow the example of veterans aid in mainland Japan
During the week of veterans aid, we must extend a helping hand to the families of fallen soldiers and to the wounded soldiers to sincerely provide them with warm support, so that they no longer have to worry about the future. We should be pleased to know that Korea, which is known as a patriotic peninsula, contributes a considerable amount of money to the military towards the national defense fund. However, why are contributions to the veterans fund so small in comparison?
When a ritual to honor orphans of veterans families was held at the Seoul National Protection Shinto Shrine, there were only a few visitors excluding the staff members. It was a lonely affair for the head of the train station to receive the remains of the second-class heroes who were born on the Korean peninsula. Herein lies the problem that we must reflect on and wipe out our mistakes. The Korean peninsula must become a “home for soldiers,” a place of honor for many, by implementing conscription starting this year. This is definitely not someone else’s problem.
Veterans aid is not something that can be solved with money and material goods, but rather with sincere service and heartfelt support. During the week of veterans aid, writer Nobuyuki Tateno, who happened to be in Korea to cover the biography of a Korean second-class special volunteer soldier, sent the following heartrending memoir to the Korea Armed Forces Press Department on March 24. It is a piece of writing that those in leadership positions must read along with those in training to provide veterans aid. [Photo: Mr. Tatsuno].
Mr. Nobuyuki Tateno’s Memoir
It was on November 21 of last year that the family of Private Captain Moon Am (문암/文岩), who had been honored to serve as a second-class hero, was notified by his original unit via the myeon township office that they should come to retrieve his remains. His hometown was Sinbu-myeon, Seoncheon-gun, Pyeonganbuk-do. It was a Sunday, and there was no one at the township (myeon) office or at the county (gun) office. So they were at a loss as to what to do. No one was willing to accompany them.
Although Captain Moon Am’s father, Hang-jun (항준/恒俊), was a poor farmer, he had graduated from Normal School (elementary school) in the old days and could speak Japanese. So he decided to go by himself without relying on anyone. He took the 12 o’clock train that night, accompanied by his wife, Gok-on (곡온/曲媼), who could not speak Japanese, and a younger son who was still in the sixth grade at National School (elementary school). Even though he could speak Japanese, it was Hang-jun’s first time in mainland Japan. When he thought about going all the way to [redacted], he was anxious about the difficulties that they would face along the way.
After spending one night in Busan, they boarded the ship and each received two loaves of bread for lunch. When Hang-jun saw that his younger son was hungry on the ship, he shared a loaf of his own bread with him, while he himself made do with only a small loaf of bread. When they arrived in Shimonoseki in the evening, they were getting hungrier and hungrier. But as they were trying to figure out where to go to eat, two soldiers whom he had met on the ship took pity on them. Apparently, they were soldiers from [redacted] who were going back to their original unit. The soldiers took the child and his mother to Shimonoseki to look for food.
In the meantime, Hang-jun watched their luggage, including the soldiers’ luggage. Even though he had nothing to eat, the soldiers’ simple kindness touched his heart so deeply that he forgot about his hunger. After a while, the soldiers returned with his wife and child. It appeared that they had found food with difficulty. With some guidance from the soldiers, Hang-jun and his family took the train again, and changed trains at Osaka station.
However, the child became hungry again, so they got off the train at Tsuruga to get some food. They walked all over Tsuruga in search of food, but were unable to find any in the unfamiliar city. So, they got on the train again. A middle-aged Japanese woman, who kindly gave them a seat on the train, saw Gok-on in her Korean clothes and asked her, “Where are you going, and to do what?”
Hang-jun told her that they were actually going to their deceased son’s original unit in [redacted] to pick up his remains. The lady said, “Oh, I see,” and got up and bowed politely to Hang-jun and his family with a reverent look on her face and said, “Thank you for your hard work”.
Mr. Hang-jun was struck by this. The ladies in mainland Japan, even the ordinary ladies in the third-class cars, were so polite and respectful, and their attitudes were also admirable. He plainly felt, this is why Japan is so strong in war.
In the morning, soon after dawn, he looked out the window of the train and saw a farmer’s wife in the rice paddy, wearing a white hand towel on her head and harvesting rice around the field. Hang-jun tugged on his wife Gok-on’s sleeve and said,
“Look! All the women in mainland Japan work like that from early in the morning, doing the work that men do. Japan is strong in war, because their women are so diligent. Compared to this, what have the women of the Korean peninsula been doing? Only the men go out to work in the fields, while the women are playing around indoors. This is a disgrace! Unless all the women in Korea learn from the women in mainland Japan, Korea will not improve.”
For two days, Hang-jun and his family ate almost nothing. However, Hang-jun was filled with pride when he saw for the first time that the customs in mainland Japan were not in the least bit disorderly. Instead, they were orderly, calm, and composed, even in the midst of a fierce war. He felt so much pride about it that he even forgot that he was hungry. From Hang-jun’s perspective, it was also astonishing that not a single policeman was to be found patrolling at any of the train stations in mainland Japan.
When they turned up at their deceased son’s original unit, they were given proper accommodation, and Hang-jun and his family were able to relax there for the first time. After receiving his deceased son’s remains and being escorted off, Hang-jun and his family were loaded into a second-class train car and started their return trip home. When changing trains in Osaka and Shimonoseki, the stationmaster led the way. The stations in Osaka and Shimonoseki were crowded with people. However, when Hang-jun carried his deceased son’s remains, led by the stationmaster, the crowd quickly split to the left and right, and everyone stopped and saluted at the same time. Even the military officers stopped and saluted, and the police patrol officers also saluted.
Hang-jun was amazed to see such controlled and dignified salutes in mainland Japan. Although his son had died, he did not regret it in the slightest. He felt a sense of pride in his heart, knowing that his son had given his life honorably as a Japanese national and as a Japanese soldier to His Majesty the Emperor. Mr. Hang-jun held on to this pride until he arrived at the train station in his hometown of Seoncheon.
But what did he see at the train station? He had sent a telegram, did he not? Or perhaps he had typed the telegram incorrectly? There no one who greeted him at the train station, and the foot traffic was disordered and crowded as usual. Not only did the crowds not make way for Hang-jun, who was carrying his deceased son’s remains in his arms, but Hang-jun was pushed into the crowd and crushed mercilessly. Seeing the ignorant and disorderly crowd, Hang-jun said,
‘Why are the people of the Korean peninsula so backward?’, finally coming to this realization and crying out in shame. As Hang-jun just realized then, the people of the Korean peninsula are still very backward.
So what should we do when their remains arrive? What should we do for the families of the deceased soldiers? We must take them by the hand and patiently explain things to them so they understand. I don’t know whether the Governor-General’s Office or the Korean Federation of National Power will come up with a concrete plan, but we must come up with a plan as soon as possible and put it into action.
In particular, provinces (do), counties (gun), towns (eup), and townships (myeon) must take action. Otherwise, the pride that Hang-jun felt in his heart when he went to receive his son’s remains would be distorted in some strange way. The pride that Hang-jun held in his heart is precious. He has truly gained this pride by losing his son, by having his son’s blood spilled.
In particular, conscription is being implemented on the Korean peninsula, and there are many young men who are currently undergoing their draft examinations, eager to become second-class soldiers. It is clear that in the near future, there will be many dozens, or even thousands of second-class soldiers like Captain Moon Am. In view of this, the Governor-General’s Office, the provinces, and the Federation must be fully informed of the actual situation, and provide guidance to the counties and townships regarding the proper way to interact with the honorable bereaved families of fallen pioneer second-class soldiers. This is a major task that requires urgent attention.
It would be a problem if the bereaved families were to have even the slightest doubt so as to ask, ‘What did my son die for?’. There are still no plans to build ‘loyal soul’ monuments to the three captains whom I have accompanied.
(Written while staying in accommodations in Seoul on April 24th)
