South Korean One Piece Exhibition Cancelled Due to Japanese Flag Art

nucleon said:
Who knows? Their grand parents may have been killed and their parents orphaned and struggled with poverty etc. It's up to them to decide, not outsiders.

IntervisioN said:
People of this generation weren't even around when Japan caused all those atrocities to the other neighboring countries. It's just blind hatred caused by their parents and teachings. This also applies to the Chinese who continue to hold their grudge against Japan for their war crimes.

Get over it people.

nucleon said:

Pretty much. Like some people are still butthurt when being shown with the Swastika.

Drunk_Samurai said:
They're still butthurt over shit that happened a long ass time ago?

I_Am_Drunk said:
as well as Vietnam and US have positive relationships now for godsakes.

Rakaxo said:


Yeah but Vietnam still have a huge grudge against China.

Just a warning, this comment might get long and moderately boring. I don't blame or judge anyone who skips this. I apologize beforehand. For the boredom and any mistakes since English is not my native language.

It's all a matter of culture and history. Things unrelated? Not exactly. Sure, Oda has absolutely nothing to do with the Japanese actions of the first half of the past century in Korea. Still, this was not against Oda, but against a product of popular culture made in Japan that is growing in popularity in Korea and especially against the way the exhibition was planned (location, etc.).

Let me just make clear why culture is such an important and sensitive element in the relation between Japan and Korea. This may bring some light to why Germany's current situation is different but frankly I am not very well informed on that so I can't commit to the comparison. I'll try not to go too far back, but just keep in mind that for many centuries Korea was a cultural standard for Japan. Sure, they themselves took a lot of those things from China, but Koreans were the ones that took many foreign cultural elements to Japan (such as Buddhism for example). This role was, let's say, a source of pride. That's one of the reasons why the occupation was so punishing on the Korean identity in a way. The occupation had several phases but had one constant element - a sort of cultural reconstruction of Korea. A truly unprecedented process of mass assimilation. In the most severe phases (after the end of Showa, I believe), Japan went very very far with this. Things could go from forcing marriages, to force Shintoism upon the whole population (keep in mind that Shintoism wasn't practiced in Korea), even trying to substitute the Korean Language with their own, by stopping the teaching of Korean in schools for example (Korean students were punished when they used Korean), or forcing the adoption of Japanese names. There are a lot of examples of this, where Japanese culture was forced (very violently if necessary) upon the Koreans. It was an ultimate attack on their cultural identity. This was extremely humiliating and I don't think most people are aware of how they went with this. This wasn't centuries ago, there are people alive today that were forced to adopt the Japanese culture while they were in school for example. This whole thing got a lot worse after the war took a bad turn for the Japanese and they had to squeeze Korea of all it had and more to compensate the war effort.

So I hope we can both agree now that culture isn't just some unrelated element that doesn't matter. This because the occupation had an enormous cultural component that was highly humiliating. Now to further emphasize the role of culture - do you know of the concept of "soft power" that was coined by Joseph Nye? It's a complex concept but I'll try to put it simply (Nye's own writings on it are very interesting and I advise reading them if you want to know more). Basically, Nye mentions that whereas before the past half a century Imperialism was militaristic in nature (or "hard power") now there's a sort of "neoimperialism" that uses not military might but cultural influence. The way in which through the various cultural outlets a country can shape another's culture and daily life. After the war Japan focused on economy and built up its own soft power. That's why nowadays the Japanese culture manages to be popular throughout the world - be it with entertainment (manga, anime, cinema, etc.). The concept of neoimperialism is usually applied to more serious cases but many authors have suggested that Japan's shift of focus has reflected this new instrument through which they could impose their presence globally (impose may be too harsh a word here though). In Korea for decades the population has reacted badly towards Japanese culture. Hell, Park Chung-hee's decrease in popularity was very much due to the opening of commercial relations with Japan. The people did not want the Japanese products, even though eventually they had to acquire them, considering the increasing offer. This kept going until today. Nowadays, Japan's soft power expresses itself through several ways, one of which is manga and anime. Korea's view of Japanese culture (mostly in its older generations) is marked by the terror and humiliation of cultural destruction and assimilation. That's why an element of popular culture isn't just a random unrelated thing. It's the symbol of Japanese culture. The symbol of that culture that kept so many in fear was exhibited in a museum dedicated to activists that tried to stop the occupation. Not 200 years ago, but less than 70, it's too recent. It doesn't matter if it's Oda, or Tezuka. The point stands with its cultural symbolism. Culture in this case is not just some unrelated thing.

Japanese Popular culture in several shapes and forms got popular in Korea in the past few decades. Still this doesn't mean that the issue doesn't exist and isn't felt anymore. Especially among the older generations. There is a very conflicting relation with Japanese popular culture. This kind of event ends up being a good proof of that.

Also you mention censorship but that's a whole different point. Basically, Koreans have had very strong censorship measures until very recently. This applies especially to a couple of topics. Japan and the Japanese media are one of them. This because for every politician Japan is an Achille's heel and connections with it may spell a more difficult mandate. Also couple that with the Japanese manipulation of its own media. Many times Japanese media went public with news that severely wounded the Korean national pride. Among other things, they denied some of the atrocities committed during the occupation, which really didn't bode well with the Koreans. Considering all this, it honestly doesn't surprise me that a not-so-democratic political system (well at least until recently, particularly with its censorship and numerous corruption scandals) censors Japanese media. Also an important element is the censorship of news related to the North which they tend to censor profusely.

As I feared this got long. Also, in case someone misunderstands, I'm not Korean. I just happened to study quite a significant amount of East Asian history in college.

Hoppy said:
Many South Koreans are hypocrites when it comes to their hate for Japan (mostly young ones), they claim to be these ultra nationalists who hate Japan with an utter passion which is probably a learned behavior by parents but they'll watch anime, read manga and LNs, and play video games from Japan even marry the women (lots of Japanese women want a South Korean man now), it's sad, indecisive, and hilarious.

CrimBlacklotus said:


Why are SK men so popular among Japanese women?

Drunk_Samurai said:
They're still butthurt over shit that happened a long ass time ago?

Drunk_Samurai said:
They're still butthurt over shit that happened a long ass time ago?

ParaParaJMo said:

Anyway, the Japanese government has been dodgy on their war crimes and have flat out denied the existence of "forced" comfort women (saying they volunteered) and denying them reparations (at least America gave some reparations and apologized for interning Japanese-Americans), not acknowledging the Rape of Nanking in China, and the existence of Unit 731. Korea may have rights to be outraged, but at least Japan does not censor Korean media.