Sixty Years of Alienation and Struggle

Hyun Sinae

What does it mean to be Korean atomic bomb victims?  Those titles frequently seen in recent days, the 60th anniversary of the Korean liberation or the 60th anniversary of the atomic bombing may be meaningless.  For them, naming their sixty years, as the ‘alienation and struggle’ may be more adequate.

What made the Korean atomic bomb victims worn out were the intentional negligence of both the Japanese and Korean government.  Besides, the ignorance of Koreans of the disastrous atomic bombing or their insensibility, and the prevalent acknowledgement that Japan is the only victim of an atomic bombing is also the primary factors that dispirit the victims in Korea.

The atomic bomb that devastated Japan in 1945 has been recognized as a gift for the Koreans suffering under the Japanese colonialism.  Korean schoolchildren do not learn about the tragedy of Hiroshima in their history courses. It is understood as an event that expedited the end of World War II, and the colonial rule. This atmosphere clearly resulted in the insensibility of the nuclear armament in present day. The special burdens that atomic bomb victims carry have been particularly heavy in the case of Korean atomic bomb victims, especially those who returned to Korea after the war.  Social ostracism, the perception by their peers that they are somehow tainted, was even more severe in Korea than in Japan because there were less public education about the real effects of the atomic bombing. In particular, since the external symptoms such as the keloid scars of the victims were similar to those of Hansen’s disease, they were ostracized from their hometowns or villages, or quarantined from the people.

Despite the fact that they were the victims, some of the victims did not even recognize that an atomic bomb had victimized them due to their ignorance about the bomb. In addition, the Korean War broke out in 1950, and again, it victimized the victims. These hardships have been compounded by politics. Systematically ignored by the governments of Japan, South Korea, and North Korea, these Koreans have truly become the forgotten atomic bomb victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The indifference of Japanese government that has been focusing on making the images of “the sole atomic bomb victim state,” also has neglected the Korean atomic bomb victims.  Thus it naturally excluded the Korean victims from the protection of the Relief Law. The Son Jindoo trial of 1974 won the eligibility of Hibakusha Techo (Atomic bomb victim’s certificate) for Korean victims, but it was only applicable to the Koreans residing in Japan. Japanese government has been insisting that it had compensated for the Korean victims based on the 1965 Japan-Korean Basic Treaty. Therefore the victory of Kwak Kwihoon trial against the Japanese government, that the verdict ordered the government to pay each appellant 1,200,000 yen in Osaka Supreme Court in January 19th of 2005, truly was the significant turning point for the Japanese government to change its attitude towards the Korean victims.

However, the reality beyond the victory is still desperate and painful. Including the exclusion of the second generation of the victims, who can not be benefited from the Relief Law, the most serious problem is the inattentiveness of Korean people of those victims. Many Korean victims do not want to be found. Atomic bomb victims have frequently suffered discrimination in employment, and their children find it more difficult. Because in Korea there has been little education about the effects of the nuclear bomb due to the association that they are so-called tainted atomic bomb victims who were seen by some as bad luck.  Social discrimination outside the family also creates strained relations within the family.

The human rights conditions of those victims are also aggravated. Baring the three-plied burdens of an aftereffect of the atomic bombing, disease and poverty, even their basic human rights are not protected by the governments.  In particular, unhealthy patients among the second generation of the victims have been threatened of their rights to live and subsist, lacking any medical aid or support for them. Besides, the fear of the social discrimination makes them to hide their identities and family histories. The deteriorated condition of the victims are well reflected in how the Korean government has never implemented any in-depth survey of Korean atomic bomb victims or even declare its will for promoting the task in the name of the government.

Now, it is the time to wake up from the 1945 nightmare

First, the fact-finding investigation of the Korean victims and establishment of the supportive policy is an urgent task for both the Korean and the Japanese government. In particular, Korean government must dismiss its previous indifferent attitude and deal with the Korean victims independently, institutionalizing the supportive measurement. Since a number of victims who are old and vulnerable to many diseases are passing away now, the aid and the support for the victims must be preceded immediately.

In addition, institutional support for the human rights of the victims must be preceded simultaneously. The actual cause of the agony is the fact that our society has been lacking the security assurances for those suffering from the social discriminations. Thus a formal and public announcement of the Korean government for the human rights of the victims is urgent and significant.  Also specialized hospitals for the improvement of the medical treatment of the atomic bomb victims as well as the foundation of the research center for atomic bomb experts are required.

The importance of acknowledging the situation of the Korean atomic bomb victims should also be emphasized.  Not only sticking to the emotional sympathy, we have to develop this issue into an anti-nuclear armament movement.  The task may be the first step to relate Korean peace movement with the atomic bomb issue as well as nuclear disarmament issue. In particular, we have to reevaluate the Japanese atomic bombing experience and strive to expand the idea that the nuclear arms race today will revive the nightmare of 1945.

Finally, an international network between the Korean atomic bomb victims and other nuclear victims all over the world is a critical agenda that we have to reconsider now. Even thought the memories of the atomic bombing is well known, it is not enough to evoke common interests to the international community.  Close relations and the networks of, not only between the firsthand atomic bomb victims, but also the victims of nuclear element such as the victims of Chernobyl accident, should spread the horror of the nuclear material and armament, and to draw the global interest namely, ‘the world peace without nuclear’ from all over the world.