뉴스레터

History is not something that is forgotten as time goes away, but it is something that lives at present and influences the future of our life. Therefore, it is important that young people who will take the responsibility in the future know the history of the past correctly and on this basis possess a view that will contribute to solving disputes on historical matters peacefully. With this aim, the 3rd International NGOs Conference on History and Peace was held in last August during which there was a time for conversation on the subject of history between professional scholars and young people with topics in relation to the histories of Korea and Japan such as Class A and Class B criminals. Here in the session, we met with Professor Utsumi Aiko who has been studying on the matters of war criminals and postwar compensation for the last 30 years.

Q. You came to Korea and gave a lecture to high school students in your grandchildren's ages, and also had a talk with them. What was your impression?

These are outstanding students with a critical mind in particular. They came here and attended the lecture by themselves. A lot of students distance themselves from history and do not think about it with particular interest. I am glad to find that a growing number of people in the young generation feel the influential power of history and try to study the subject with interest. I've thought that the future for Korea will be bright because of those pretty and pure-minded students with passion for history.

Q. How did you become interested in those matters of history, particularly responsibility for the war and the postwar compensation?

Having read a documentary book about the discrimination against the Koreans in Japan by chance, I was surprised to know the facts that I had not known before. As a twenty-three year old teacher, I was deeply thinking about what I should do in the future. It came to me as an opportunity to think and determine that I would perform a task of reviewing the history of Japan once again. I quit my job as a teacher. Then I enrolled in a postgraduate course and wrote a thesis on a topic in relation to the Koreans in Japan. At that time, my academic advisers and people around me dissuaded me from writing a thesis on such a topic, saying that I would have trouble getting a job later. Determined not to be bothered about my future employment, I insisted on the thesis topic and continued working on the topic. Thanks to my decision, I could get a job much later when I turned 46 years old (laughing).

Q. Have you had any difficulties while you were studying?

First of all, I couldn't get the information I was searching for. There are a lot of restrictions imposed in Japan as to disclosure of information, and some resources cannot be accessed by the public. For example, if you request a list of deposit monies that should be paid out to the Korean people who were conscripted into the armed forces during the Japanese colonial rule, you can only see the amount, and the name of the person who is entitled to the money is not shown. Some information is deliberately hidden and some other information is neglected by the government. So, I myself had to travel to relevant countries such as America, Australia and Indonesia searching for resources that I needed. In this course, I could find people like YANG Chil Seong, a Korean who contributed in the Independence Movement of Indonesia. Initially, he was conscripted into the Japanese Army and was working in Indonesia. My financial condition was not good enough to organize overseas trips for researches. So, I worked for the expenses, carried a backpack and traveled with a little money. But, I didn't feel tired because I had a goal. There is always a way if you have a goal and the determination.

Q. As you can see in the controversial textbook issues in Japan, history education at the moment is focused on stressing the superiority of their own nation rather than pursuing peaceful co-existence. What is your opinion about this?

Education should be neutral and independent from the government power. However, it is hardly realized in the current situation of Japan. Before we argue about selected textbooks, there has to be a change in the textbook selection system. Teachers have fought for this since 1950's. And this effort has been successful at least in limiting wider spread of Husosha textbooks. It is not an easy task to solve the problems relating to textbooks because it also involves politics.

At this stage, a solution could be that teachers raise their ability to lead students in the right direction. To make this happen, teachers have to secure time for studying and improving their capabilities. It is difficult in the real world though. Teachers are too busy to spare time for it. So, they tend to follow the directions given by the government. Ensuring teachers their right and providing an environment in which they can study, feel, understand by themselves will be necessary so that they may participate in the movement for change.

Q. Can you tell young people what they can do by themselves for the future of their country and for the future about history?

When I was traveling overseas, I often heard "Korean people are worse and more wicked than Japanese people" and similar other words. I heard them from prisoners and their families of war. They ground their teeth when they recalled the Korean warders in the prisons. It was a wrong situation. The Korean warder who was drafted by Japan and had to perform the job was also a victim. Some Koreans were sentenced as B or C class war criminals and served in the prison. Yet, they were discarded by the Japanese government, and they couldn't live properly either in Japan or in Korea. Many people don't know about this.

Young people should learn and convey the truth. They should be able to explain about it. To do so, they should ask questions about it and learn the past with interest. The first and easiest thing they can do is to interview their parents, grandparents and relatives to hear their stories and experiences. The history consists of their lives and their words become materials. On the basis of these materials, they will get curious about more things. These materials will become the basis for more surveys and researches.

Q. We have the 3rd International NGOs Conference on History and Peace this year. What kind of meaning does it have to those involved in peace movement and to the civil societies in Japan?

The International NGOs Conference on History and Peace requires great amount of support and energy. It is such an event that can hardly be held in Japan. I was so much surprised about it and I was so envious of it. "This is the power of Korea," I thought. It is an excellent opportunity for NGOs around the world to gather together centering around the theme of history for exchanging their views and opinions. I think, such exchange has to happen more often and more time has to be allocated for it. I hope that this NGOs Conference on History will be able to provide more forums so that students and those who have experienced war will gather together for discussions. One word directly heard from the person who experienced it can raise more interest than books and other materials, and can motivate the audience to act upon it.