The History Book Club discussion

Ah. Gotcha. Unfortunately, I don't have a copy and my mind is full of other things now. Probably wasn't worthy anyway.

I couldn't imagine any business throwing good money after bad where a venture runs such great risk. South Korea is an industrial little giant in Asia now and business always trumps politics.

I was a public information specialist in the Army stationed in Korea in 1962-63. Part of my assignment was to escort visiting newsmen into the middle of the DMZ where our troops were on patrol. Five years ago I returned to Korea as a conference speaker and tourist. On my visit to the DMZ I was astounded to find a modern railroad station with tracks leading north into North Korea. But apparently inter-country transportation hasn't changed anything.

Interesting post Jerry - I think they should just get the darn place open again - even if they got such an agreement from NK - that doesn't mean anything - they could still close it if they wanted to - agreement or not.

It would be like making a deal with the devil. No exaggeration.

All well said, Christopher.

Surprised?

Yes, they are talking (smile).

I will take a look a bit later today.

That is interesting Christopher - that seems like a huge number of visits from an American president - I would think that this shows other things as well - well for France - I guess he likes the cheese and wine - who can blame him (smile) - and Mexico - that is understanding too - because of the immigration issues and other issues caused at our border. South Korea is interesting. I wonder if it has as much to do with South Korea as China.

Oh well that makes his trips memorable - don't go out - Obama is here (smile).

Oh my we did not see that coming did we Chris - out of the blue (LOL)

That should have been their goal at the beginning.

Well things could not have gone that poorly if they are doing this. Although maybe Obama suggested this - it sounds more like him than Park.

Christopher wrote: "It's possible--I think Park is equivocating a bit. Korea had gotten a little stingy with aid during the Lee Myung Bak administration and while this is far from Sunshine Policy levels of aid, it is ..."

A consolation prize since she took over (smile). So many of those countries in that area - have as their common hatred - the Japanese. Goodness knows when I spent time in Japan - I thought they were unbelievably kind and as nice as they could be - yet WWII soldiers, anybody in China and I guess Korea have long memories and they are not good.

Seems that by now the South Koreans should have long ago handled anything to deal with WWII. I think Mitsubishi and Japan do have a point there although it does not take away from their claim. Why is this cropping up now and not a long time ago?

Christopher - after reading the article - I though I would actually post the whole thing - it is quite something:

Mitsubishi ordered to compensate Koreans for forced labor

An appellate court Tuesday ordered Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. to compensate the families of five former Korean employees who were subjected to forced labor during Japan’s colonial rule.

In a retrial, the Busan High Court ruled that the engineering and aviation behemoth should provide each family with 80 million won ($72,000) in overdue salary and other damages.

The ruling marked the second victory for former conscripted Korean laborers since they started litigation in the mid-1990s in Korea and Japan.

Early this month, the Seoul High Court also ordered Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp. (previously Nippon Steel Corp.) to pay four of its former workers 100 million won each in back wages and additional damages.

“Mitsubishi took the plaintiffs to Hiroshima and forced them into hard labor in a poor environment without paying salaries,” the verdict said.

“And despite the atomic bombing, it did not take rescue measures such as providing them with proper shelter and food, and thus has a liability of compensation.”

The indemnity reflects the period and intensity of labor, working environment and the degree to which freedom was suppressed, unpaid salaries, and the fact that the suitors have not been compensated for more than 60 years, the ruling added.

The five people including Park Chang-hwan and Lee Byung-mok, who were taken to Japan to work from 1941-44 and are now deceased, sued Mitsubishi in Japan in 1995.

After losing the suit, they lodged another collective suit against the Tokyo-based firm in Busan in 2000, demanding 606 million won in withheld pay and compensation for their forced labor and the company’s negligence in caring for their health and safety.

Another group of four filed a separate case against the steel giant in Seoul in 2005 after losing a 1997 suit in Japan.

They claimed to have been exposed to life-threatening conditions and suffered from the aftereffects of mistreatment, including radiation-related illnesses after the atomic bombing by the U.S. in 1945.

But lower and appellate courts dismissed both cases, citing the Japanese rulings, a change in the enterprises’ corporate structure, and the expiration of the statute of limitations.

In a milestone decision, the Supreme Court overturned the verdicts and sent the case back to the high courts in May 2012, calling the Japanese ruling a “direct challenge to the core values of the Korean Constitution that regards forcible mobilization during the occupation as illegal in itself.”

The top court for the first time acknowledged the former laborers’ individual right to seek compensation, rejecting the firm’s assertion that it was nullified by a 1965 settlement between the two countries on wartime claims.

“Though belatedly, I appreciate that our court recognized the forced laborers’ claim for damages. It’s sad that we could not receive compensation while my dad was alive,” said Park Jae-hoon, the 66-year-old son of Park Chang-hwan.

The Korean Bar Association called for “historic reconciliation” between the businesses and their former workers.

“Mitsubishi should take the lead in setting up a relief foundation participated by the South Korean and Japanese governments, as well as the Japanese firms responsible for forced conscription,” they said at a news conference in Busan.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, almost 227,000 Koreans have reported their forced labor in Japan.

But some scholars project that the number of Koreans put into forced labor between April 1938 and Korea’s liberation in August 1945 may have reached 8 million.

By Shin Hyon-hee ([email protected])

Yes, they never forget in that region of the world - I remember when I was in China before the Olympics and was outside the Forbidden City - some street vendor was trying to sell me an Olympics hat for about 50 cents and it wasn't bad - I just didn't need another hat (smile) - but anyway she was giving me a rundown of her impression of the world - asked if I was British or German - no - and she said that this was good because the Brits were bossy and meddled and the Germans were cold - then she found out that I was American and she said - oh Americans are funny not like the Japanese - we hate them. Sort of sums it all up.

Though she had it down (smile). I almost wanted to buy the hat after that. Then because of my light hair - they made me pose with babies - so somewhere in Beijing - there are photos of me with some baby and family (and not just one) who I have no idea who they are.

A Dragon's Head and a Serpent's Tail: Ming China and the First Great East Asian War, 1592-1598

by Kenneth M. Swope (no photo)

Synopsis:

The invasion of Korea by Japanese troops in May of 1592 was no ordinary military expedition: it was one of the decisive events in Asian history and the most tragic for the Korean peninsula until the mid-twentieth century. Japanese overlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi envisioned conquering Korea, Ming China, and eventually all of Asia; but Korea’s appeal to China’s Emperor Wanli for assistance triggered a six-year war involving hundreds of thousands of soldiers and encompassing the whole region. For Japan, the war was “a dragon’s head followed by a serpent’s tail”: an impressive beginning with no real ending.

Kenneth M. Swope has undertaken the first full-length scholarly study in English of this important conflict. Drawing on Korean, Japanese, and especially Chinese sources, he corrects the Japan-centered perspective of previous accounts and depicts Wanli not as the self-indulgent ruler of received interpretations but rather one actively engaged in military affairs—and concerned especially with rescuing China’s client state of Korea. He puts the Ming in a more vigorous light, detailing Chinese siege warfare, the development and deployment of innovative military technologies, and the naval battles that marked the climax of the war. He also explains the war’s repercussions outside the military sphere—particularly the dynamics of intraregional diplomacy within the shadow of the Chinese tributary system.

What Swope calls the First Great East Asian War marked both the emergence of Japan’s desire to extend its sphere of influence to the Chinese mainland and a military revival of China’s commitment to defending its interests in Northeast Asia. Swope’s account offers new insight not only into the history of warfare in Asia but also into a conflict that reverberates in international relations to this day.

That looks like a great book - thank you Bryan.

I agree, there is a lot of rich history and entanglements going on way here before the 20th century.

The Samurai Invasion of Korea 1592-98

by Stephen Turnbull (no photo)

Synopsis:

The invasions of Korea launched by the dictator Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1592-1593 and 1597-1598) are unique in Japanese history for being the only time that the samurai assaulted a foreign country. Hideyoshi planned to invade and conquer China, ruled at the time by the Ming dynasty, and when the Korean court refused to allow his troops to cross their country, Korea became the first step in this ambitious plan of conquest. In 1592 a huge invasion force of 150,000 men landed at the ports of Busan and Tadaejin under the commanders Konishi Yukinaga and Kato Kiyomasa. These two Japanese divisions rapidly overran their Korean counterparts, taking the principal cities of Seoul and then Pyongyang and driving the remnants of the Korean Army into China. The Japanese division under Kato Kiyomasa even started to advance into Manchuria. However, the Korean strength was in their navy and the vital Korean naval victory of Hansando disrupted the flow of supplies to the invasion forces, forcing them to hold their positions around Pyongyang.

In 1593, the Chinese invaded capturing Pyongyang from the Japanese and driving them southwards. This phase of the war ended in a truce, with the Japanese forces withdrawing into enclaves around the southern port of Busan while the Ming armies largely withdrew to China.

In 1597, following the breakdown in negotiations, the Japanese invaded again with a force of 140,000 men. However, the Chinese and Koreans were now better prepared and the advance came to a halt south of Seoul, and then forced the Japanese southwards. In November 1598 Hideyoshi died, and with him the enthusiasm for the military adventure. The Japanese council of regents ordered the withdrawal of the remaining forces, and the naval battle of Noryang, which saw the Japanese fleet annihilated by the Korean admiral Yi-Sunshin, proved to be the last significant act of the conflict.

Well I guess you could put it that way. I had to hold a lot of babies - they actually lined up and my son was shaking his head - he was a bit miffed afterwards saying that nobody asked him to hold a baby and take a photo. Many times the parents got into the act and posed with me and the baby and he had to take the photo. (lol)

Bryan's books do look terrific.

You must be kidding about Gaeseong - it is hard dealing with unstable folks who are from Isolation I think are mentally deranged. This is to their benefit. They would spite themselves before opening this easily.

God only knows Christopher. I have no idea who they thought I was (haha) - the NK smells vulnerabilities.

Christopher wrote: "Park’s freewheeling appointments draw fire

Here is some commentary on the criticism President Park's latest appointments have attracted. It seems her new chief of staff is causing particular ire d..."

Why do folks in power have a "Daddy complex". George W - the same thing.

Oh my goodness - progress (I think)

Maybe they got their money and opening it was in the fine print - when they had to sign for the check (smile)

And they could have done all of the above - months ago.

Exactly why change anything when everything is perfect as it is.

Oh dear, is the grid that overloaded in South Korea?

Difficult situation

Wow - I hope you get through the summer. I hate humidity.

I like the idea. It is a shame that folks have been separated.

Well this is really good - let us hope that this moves forward quickly.

Please add a book or two to each article.

This is making some headway - folks must want this on both sides.

Good for them.

I guess they are getting lonely in the mountains (smile).

But whatever the reason - I do like the idea of folks being able to see their families.

Yes, this seems to be going to happen.

Yes the most pleasant thing that is happened there in a year.

We can only hope - unless they are going to make ex President Clinton go there again. I hope that King is successful on his own.

Things are very strange in Asia.

Wow - bad enough but then being shot by a firing squad - pretty severe. The poor families as well.

Landmines goodness - what a disaster. Can you imagine - let us go to the park but be careful of land mines (yikes)

Christopher I feel for you - I have to say their posters are ludicrous and cartoonish aren't they - it looks like a Roman chariot adorned with flags - something out of an old Charlton Heston movie (smile).

He's back! And if you notice it is listed first - that is what has happened to our level of media coverage.

They seem to like him too and he likes them. Maybe that is the secret - just try to see some good in the other person.

Correct - Ditto

I guess you have to know more about him and his ties to the North - Are they considering him a spy or a revolutionary.

Aaah - a person who has questionable links to the North and may be doing their bidding.

Yes of course it will. Why is he saying anything.

Hmmm - I can understand this can't you?