A Modern-Day An Jung-geun: "When I imagine killing someone, it’s a Japanese person！"

South Koreans: "Well said!" "A modern-day An Jung-geun!" — Video wishing for Japanese people to die in an earthquake draws praise in South Korea; backlash also directed at the Japanese, calling them "ungrateful." ★6

1: Haru Deburi φ ★: 2012/03/14 (Wed) 17:25:19.97 ID:???0

★ Is this "anti-Japanese video" from South Korea the work of a modern-day An Jung-geun? Backlash also directed at the Japanese, labeling them "ungrateful."

 On March 11, 2012—one year after the Great East Japan Earthquake—a video was uploaded to YouTube in which a man, presumably South Korean, says, "I hope the Japanese people all die in an instant in an earthquake." While this sparked a fierce backlash on the Japanese internet, the reaction in South Korea—once the story was reported there—was the exact opposite.

 Some praised him, calling him a "modern-day An Jung-geun" (a Korean independence activist) and suggesting he "should be made president." Others joined in a counter-backlash, claiming that the Japanese are "ungrateful," despite the aid South Korea provided following the disaster.

 Reported in South Korea, with numerous comments expressing "agreement."

 In the video, the man—speaking in halting Japanese—states, "When I imagine killing someone, it’s a Japanese person; though, there’s no longer any need to kill them." He explains that there is no need to kill them because another major earthquake is coming, adding, "I hope the Japanese people all die in an instant." As the backlash intensified, he deleted the video. In a subsequently uploaded video, he remarked, "Those Japanese monkeys are desperately attacking me." He argued that anyone unable to laugh at his video is effectively rejecting South Korea, and declared that he intends to remain staunchly anti-Japanese from here on out. The online edition of the prominent South Korean newspaper *Kukmin Ilbo* reported on this topic on March 12, 2012, noting that the video in question was uploaded by a 21-year-old South Korean man—a move that has incensed Japanese netizens.

 The report explains that, in an effort to expose these "barbaric acts" by a South Korean, the video has been subtitled in various languages ​​and uploaded to multiple video-sharing platforms. It mentions that the video includes text such as, "He is not an exception; he is an ordinary South Korean man," and "Do not believe what South Koreans say about Japan."

 

 How do South Koreans perceive this "incident"? The *Kukmin Ilbo* article features a comments section containing numerous posts, the vast majority of which praise the man who uploaded the video, with remarks such as, "Well said!" and "He is a modern-day Ahn Jung-geun!"

(To be continued)

http://www.j-cast.com/2012/03/13125303.html?p=all

*Previous thread (★1: 03/13 (Tue) 19:41:13): http://uni.2ch.net/test/read.cgi/newsplus/1331679871/

2 : Haru Deburi φ ★ : 2012/03/14 (Wed) 17:25:48.04 ID:???0

(Continuation of >>1)

A Deep-Seated "Gap" in National Sentiment

 For instance, it is argued that the Japanese have also engaged in similarly appalling behavior—citing, for example, instances where users on the online forum "2channel" offered "congratulations" following outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in South Korea, or the issuance of death threats against actress Kim Tae-hee when she attempted to visit Japan. Furthermore, comments have been posted such as: "There is no movement in Japan to reflect upon or come to terms with its past history; seeing them act so brazenly—as if they did everything right—makes me wish they would be struck by major earthquakes again and again." Another reads: "During the earthquake disaster, our citizens, celebrities, and major corporations provided a great deal of aid; yet, just as the Japanese have forgotten the atrocities they committed in the past, they have also forgotten the aid they received from South Korea." Still others state: "Has Japan ever truly been friendly toward us? When they find themselves at a disadvantage, they bow their heads; when they have the upper hand, they show no mercy and take full advantage. That is simply their nature."

 While there are some who argue that "the Japanese archipelago should be valued, as it acts as a breakwater against tsunamis," the prevailing atmosphere makes it difficult to defend the Japanese.

 Although not directly related to the issue of the video in question, a report from the *Sankei Shimbun* on the 12th notes that South Korea was the third-largest contributor of international aid following the Great East Japan Earthquake, trailing only Taiwan and the United States. Nevertheless, public opinion polls within South Korea still show that over 50% of the population "dislikes Japan."

(End)

TITLE: [Society] South Koreans react: "Well said!" "A modern-day Ahn Jung-geun!" — Video wishing for the deaths of Japanese people in earthquakes receives praise; some even lash out, calling the Japanese "ungrateful." ★6

DATE: 2012/03/15 02:08

URL: http://uni.2ch.net/test/read.cgi/newsplus/1331713519/-100