재일한국인 유골봉환과 한국 외교문서 ―모리무라 세이이치 「사사노보효(笹の墓標)」를 중심으로―

Abstract

This article focuses on the issue of remains after the war, focusing on Morimura Seiichi’s novel “Sasa no Bohyo”, which deals with the issue of the return of Korean remains forcibly recruited during the colonial period. The novel is a mystery novel published in the magazine “Shosetsu Hoseki” from January to May 2000 that shed light on the past of Koreans who were forced to build the Uryu Dam in Hokkaido and the present of their descendants. In particular, this article analyzes the diplomatic documents of the Korean government and the process of long negotiations over the return of the remains between Korea and Japan, focusing on the activities of the “Sorachi Minshushi Koza”(Sorachi People’s History Course), which began in 1976. As a result, it was found that the South Korean government continued to negotiate with the Japanese government with a strong awareness of North Korea. In other words, negotiations have continued with a passive attitude, leaving the return of the remains to private organization, being careful not to use the return of the remains as a political contact between Japan and North Korea. In addition, in the case of remains without relatives, consideration was given to building a memorial tower in Japan to enshrine the remains rather than having them returned to South Korea. The above activities of the “Sorachi Minshushi Koza” were far from the national-level policies depicted in the novel.