관동대지진 때 한인 학살에 대한 『독립신문』의 보도와 그 영향

Abstract

On September 1, 1923, the Great Kanto Earthquake struck the Kanto region of Japan, including Tokyo, causing widespread damage throughout it. Koreans living in the region were no exception. Furthermore, misunderstanding and prejudice toward Koreans during the Japanese colonial period resulted in the most tragic incident suffered by Koreans during the Colonial Period (1910-1945), namely, the Massacre of Koreans in 1923 by Japanese civil militia and other groups in the wake of the earthquake. Ninety years have passed since the tragedy, which was instigated by the imperial Japanese government amid the terrible chaos caused by the massive earthquake. The full facts behind the massacre, including its implications and lessons, have yet to be thoroughly investigated and discussed by contemporary Koreans living through an age of prosperity that owes a lot to the sacrifices of their ancestors, who struggled against the Japanese colonial rule. Korea is now faced with the difficult challenge of fully investigating how Japan has dealt with the massacre not just in its research papers but also in its classrooms and civic movements, over and above the genuine efforts made by Koreans in their academic studies, history education and citizen campaigns about the massacre. In the aftermath of the earthquake, the Japanese government quickly declared martial law, which is why there were very few reports on the additional sufferings of Koreans during the earthquake. The massacre of Koreans in 1923, in fact, was committed jointly by the Japanese military, police, and vigilantes. The crime was ultimately overshadowed by the coverage of the earthquake damage both in Japan and abroad at that time. One significant exception was the coverage of the massacre by The Independence, an official newspaper of the Korean Provisional Government based in Shanghai, China. In its extradated September 4, 1923, i.e. four days after the earthquake and the massacre of Koreans, the paper published a report on the earthquake and the massacre. The following day, December 5, the newspaper wrote that 6,661 Koreans had been killed by the Japanese during the massacre, causing a tremendous commotionin the Korean community across the world. The coverage by The Independence of the Massacre of Koreans during the Great Kanto Earthquake has greatly impacted academic and educational institutions at home and abroad. The newspaper’s report on the number of Koreans massacred during the earthquake in 1923 is still considered to be relatively precise because it was based on the investigations not only of correspondents of the newspaper based in Japan but also of many Koreans who were living in the Kanto region at the time. That is why the newspaper’s coverage has been widely referred to at home and abroad. There is a consensus among academic and educational institutions in South Korea, North Korea and Japan that around six to seven thousand Koreans were killed by the Japanese during the massacre. Now, it is a case of an historic mission that Korea, and particularly its academic circles, must carry out to identify all the victims, investigate every aspect of the massacre, and hold all those who participated in the massacre accountable. In the end, a lesson must be learned from the tragedy to make the victims’ deaths significant. It is our job to figure out how we can remember them, too.