Korea had suffered the rule of the Imperialist Japan for 35 years. Even though they had suffered same difficulties, there existed some differences in antagonistic feeling toward the rule of the Imperialist Japan according to the areas where they had belonged
As I have acknowledged up until now, there was a strong aversion in South West Area of Korean peninsular against the Japanese rule. This did not mean that the antagonism in other area was not so serious. What I want to say is the anti-imperialism of Japan in this region is much more severe than other area.
The reason of negative feeling seemed to be different according to the difference of economic confiscation. South west area in Korean peninsular have been well-known for the agriculture. On the other hands, Japan had suffered lasting lack of food through their history. Besides, the Imperialistic Japan had to supply the provisions of food for the military under the operation in China. During Japan-China war, South West Area of Korea was the supply base of the food
South west area had been confiscated more severely than other area during the Japanese rule. Wherever I have dropped by in Southwest area, I could find the banks built for plundering land and looting grain from koreans.
In this respect, Mokpo was not an exception. Mokpo was first port being opened for trading with other countries. Naturally the first country entering into Mokpo city was Japan.
The first work Japan had done in Mokpo was building the consulate and the bank for Japanese rule.
There were 2 representative architectures built in the period of Japanese rule.
These 2 buildings have been preserved as the Museum of Modern History.
The first museum was a Japanese consulate built before the colonization.
The second museum was a bank for plundering land and grains from Korean.
The former Japanese consulate was located in the bottom of the mountain ‘Yudalsan’.
As entering into the museum, I saw the girl statue of the peace expressing the suffer of young girls suffered the sexual abuse from Japanese Government and Military.
They were kidnapped and forced to be sexual abuse victims for the Japanese Soldiers. When they were kidnapped by the Japanese Government, most of them were teen agers.
Japanese Government never have apologized to that Criminal act. The pain they had suffered was not only theirs but also all Koreans’.
That’s the reason why the girl statue of the peace stood in front of the former Japanese consulate.
The consulate building itself has it’s historical meaning.
There was nothing particular to look at inside of the museum. One interesting was a piano with a candle holder.
The impressive thing near the museum was a tunnel built for escaping from air raid by the U. S air force during the second World War.
The tunnel was a kinds of a scar that koreans had gotten hurt by Imperialist Japan.
It was told that there were so many other tunnels in Mokpo built during the rule of Japan.
I found a tunnel by the road in downtown by chance. The scars were not far from our daily lives.
The bank was the second museum of Modern History.
This building told to have been used for the HQ of military police since the liberation from the Japanese rule.
There is no history having no scars and glories. People is willing to boast their glorious history with pleasure, but trying to conceal their shameful history.
The citizens oh Mokpo didn’t try to hide their shameful history.
I’d like to applause courage.
