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What led him(her) into becoming "apostates"?
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"Charges" |
Persecutions
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Apologies, retire or flee
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Kim Wan-seop
(金完燮)
Born in 1963. Famous critical writer.

"The defense of pro-Japan people 2" |
Getting acquainted with real Japanese.
When living abroad, he got acquainted with Japanese.
Then he began to question
the stereotyped image of Japanese in Korea.
(Previous records)
He was originally a common Korean who had strong anti-Japanese feeling.
He was a democratic movement activist and was registered as a national
contributor for his contribution to Gwangju Democratization Movement by
Korean government.
He majored in physics at Seoul National University.(Another source said he dropped out of the University.)
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Raising objections to the Korean historical view.(2002/7-)
"It was completely justifiable for Empire of Japan to rule Korea."
"We were grateful for Japan to kill Queen Min." "Dokto(Takeshima)
is Japanese territory under international laws."
He began to express his opinions in his books("The defense of pro-Japan
people"(2002/02) and others) or via the internet.
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Restrictions on selling of his book.
Being sued for slander of dead(historical persons) repeatedly.
His book was prohibited from selling to young people because his books
was "harmful to youth".
He was charged with slandering dead persons' reputation, and paid reparations.
(Some relatives of historical persons charges him one after another.)
He was also about to be charged with inducement of foreign aggression(Its maximum penalty is capital punishment.).
When he attended the public hearing for determining the past history the Diet held, he was assaulted by An an observer(2003/11).
When he was at the trial about his book, he was injured in the violence by a murderer(2004/10).
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None |
Cho Yongnam
(趙英男)
Born in 1945. A national singer, popular personality and painter

"My declaration of pro-Japan which makes me be beaten to death" |
Coming to Japan.
He was invited by Japan Foundation in 2004. This was his first visit to
Japan. On this visit, he got some cultural shock.
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Protecting Japan in his book.
In Korea and Japan, he published "My declaration of pro-Japan which
makes me be beaten to death"(2005/04).
"I feel too ridiculous that grown-up men have been angry with the Yasukuni shrine for decades ... Any one can understand Japan is right."
" Korea is the only nation which insults Japan in the world. I feel
ridiculous and feel lonely."
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Backing out of the popular TV program, due to public outcry.
He backed out of the popular TV program which he had been hosting.
Many people posted accusing messages on the Internet.
A signature campaign was launched for removing him from broadcasting.
The "Special committee for preventing Cho's concert"(!) was formed to exert pressure on him to cancel his concert.
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Apology at a joint press conference with a representatives of protesters.
He held a joint press conference with Hon chairperson of the "Special committee for preventing Cho's concert". He said "I do apologize to Korean people at home and abroad. I promise prevention of recurrence in the future. I agreed that Japan government should apologize formally ...."
(Note. (Strange to say, many Korean people never want to refer to the basic
fact that "reparation problem" between Japan and Korea has ended
by the treaty in 1965)
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O Seonhwa
(呉善花)
Born in 1956 in Jeju-do.

"Wind of skirt - Korean women aims for permanent residence in Japan" |
Going to Japan and study.
She went to Japan and study in 1983. Her original target was going USA
or Canada and study, but at that time it was difficult to permit Korean
students to go there and study.
She was surprised to find that the people of "devil's nation"
were kind unexpectedly, and shocked at the large differences of the culture.
Then she have a large doubt about Korean society and culture.
(Previous records) When she was a little girl, she showed her Japanese to please the island's residents. But in her school-age, she was committed to anti-Japanism by anti-Japanese education.
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Criticizing Korean society and culture in her books published in Japan.
She published a reportage of Korean bar hostesses working in Japan ("Wind
of skirt - Korean women aims for permanent residence in Japan" (1990)).
She wrote with sympathy how and why many Korean women were working in adult-entertainment business in Japan.
She revealed the male chauvinism, over- emphasis on virginity and the culture
of gisaeng in Korean society.
To our surprise, as a result about 70 percent(!) of women's employed population
work in such business in Korea. Then some of them come to Japan.
That is to say, the national dishonor of Korea. But her frank opinions provoked Korean people's outrage.
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Many persistent harassment, threats and slanders.
She often received a number of harassing phone calls from Korean bar hostesses
and accused by Korean students in the classroom of Japanese university.
Her book (published only in Japan) sold well, and she was sometimes invited to speak. One day she was accused by an audience of Korean student.
Some Korean people and a well-known writer frantically claimed "O
Seonhwa" was really a Japanese and showed various her "findings".
After proving O Seonhwa was really a Korean woman, many slanders attacked her ...
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Naturalization in Japan
In the 1990s she was naturalized in Japan.
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Han Sunnyo
(韓昇助)
Born in 1930. a professor emeritus at Korea University
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His own study
For a long time, he has thought that Korea had developed under Japanese rule.
(Previous records)
He had been a professor at Korea University for 30 years.
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Expressing a positive view of Japanese rule in Japanese magazine.
"When we have a proper understanding of the international situation
at that time, we can understand that Japanese rule was not so bad."
"Japanese rule was blessing. We should be thankful for this."
"We should decide to get to the bottom of the history again."
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Resignation from a professor emeritus.
With the support of public opinion, the student union of Korea University
asked him to reflect and apology for his "shameful acts".
They also asked university authorities to deprive him of a position as
professor emeritus.
They called him "a dog of Japanese" or "traitor to Korea".
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Official apology.
Declaring stopping his social activities.
"Because the words and metaphors were not proper in my sentence, what
should not happened has happened." "From now on, I'll stop all
of my social activities."
(Such bizarre scenes sometimes appear in Korean society. But English article
seem to be seldom written about such shameful events.)
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Lee Yongfun
(李栄薫)
An economics professor at Seoul National University.
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His own study
In Korean academic society, Korea was considered to continue economic development and the sprouts of capitalism appeared during the period of Joseon Dynasty.
But Lee criticized such a view, and claimed the economy had been really
stalled during the period of Joseon Dynasty and capitalism had developed
on the initiative of Japanese capital under Japanese rule. (Related article)
(Previous records)
He have been known for his research on economic history under Japanese
rule.
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Criticizing the distorting history and
violent nationalism in Korea.(2004-)
He was expressing a series of opinions in Korean TV discussion program
or media's interviews.
"Most of the collective memories under Japanese rule were created
artificially and implanted."
"The theories that Korea had been "exploited" under Japanese rule is just the distorted myth."
"Comfort women were just prostitutes." "Who claims that
Japan forced them into the wartime brothels among scholars?" "During
Korean War, Koreans ran the wartime brothels, but Korean people do not
reflect on this." "Japan was responsible for managing the wartime
brothels, but we should discuss the activities of Korean private companies."
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Many objections at related sites.
Demand his resignation from a professor by a nationalist group.
The website of TV program, the university and others were flooded with
objections.
Korean "Dedicated corps Issue(the Korean people often call so-called
"Comfort women" "dedicated corps".)" Association
demanded his resignation from a professor.
(Note; Dedicated corps(Teishin-tai) meant the civil group of labor service
at military plants or others. They did not mean the group of offering sexual
services. Clearly, this is abusage.)
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Visiting "The house of Nanumu" to apology.
He visited "The house of Nanumu" to apology. "The house
of Nanumu" is the house former "comfort women" are leading
communal life.
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