Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Netanyahu: If Lebanese Army takes steps to disarm Hezbollah, Israel will engage in reciprocal measures, including phased reduction of Israeli military presence in Lebanon
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Photojournalist Houssam Al-Masri martyred, reporters Hatem Omar, Mohammad Ashraf Salameh injured in Israeli strike on Nasser Medical Complex.
Israeli media: Intense US efforts are being made to resolve differences, such as the issue of the Israeli presence on Mount Hermon and in southern Syria
Israeli media: The security agreement means amending the disengagement agreement, which will also address the Druze issue
Israeli media: Attempts to reach a security agreement between 'Israel' and Syria were among the topics discussed at the Paris meeting
Israeli media: Sheikh Muwaffaq Tarif rejected a US proposal to join the recent tripartite meeting between Tom Barrack, al-Shaibani, and Dermer
Saba News Agency: Two martyred, five injured in a preliminary toll of the Israeli aggression on the Yemeni Oil Company station on Al-Sitteen Street in Sanaa
Senior Yemeni military source to Al Mayadeen: We observed a state of confusion among the enemy's aircraft squadron after Yemeni air defenses intercepted the attack
Senior Yemeni military source to Al Mayadeen: The Yemeni air defense forces succeeded in neutralizing a squadron of enemy aircraft and prevented airstrikes on some governorates
Senior Yemeni military source to Al Mayadeen: Our air defenses and missile forces forced a formation of enemy aircraft to flee the airspace

WWII South Koreans denounce country's compensation as 'dirty money'

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 7 Mar 2023 13:58
3 Min Read

The plan, immediately welcomed by Japan and the US, does not entail an apology and contains merely voluntary contributions from the Japanese companies involved, including Mitsubishi and Nippon Steel.

  • x
  • People passing by a statue in Seoul symbolizing forced Korean workers, in March 2023. (AP)
    People passing by a statue in Seoul symbolizing forced Korean workers, in March 2023. (AP)

After South Korea announced its plan on Monday to compensate citizens forced to work for Japanese companies during World War II in order to end the historic tension with Japan, the plan was decried by the citizens themselves as "dirty money".

The compensation fund was intended to come from the money that South Korean companies profited from following a 1965 reparations deal to end the "vicious cycle" with Japan.

The plan, immediately welcomed by Japan and the US, does not entail an apology, and contains merely voluntary contributions from the Japanese companies involved, including Mitsubishi and Nippon Steel.

Yang Geum-deok, who worked at a Mitsubishi factory at the time, said at a rally in Seoul, "I am 95 years old and I don't know if I die today or tomorrow. But never in my life have I felt so distressed." 

"Even if I die of hunger, I would not accept that dirty money," she said as he held a poster that read, "Mitsubishi must apologize and compensate!"    

Related News

China to showcase hypersonic weapons at WWII anniversary parade

2024 records highest number of global conflicts since WWII: The Times

Read next: South Korea reiterates refusal to supply Ukraine with military aid

Compensation for 'freedom and peace'

Close to 780,000 Koreans were forced into labor by Japan during the colonial period, according to Seoul - this number does not include the hundreds of women forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese army at the time. 

Seoul has been seeking to resolve issues lingering from Japan's 1910-45 occupation of the Korean peninsula and has been ramping up ties with Tokyo amid threats from North Korea.    

At the rally, victim Kim Sung-Joo said, "It was the Japanese who dragged us to Japan. Who do we turn to demand an apology?" 

On Tuesday, South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol supported the plan heavily, stressing that it was important "for freedom, peace, and prosperity, not only bilaterally but globally". 

The 1965 treaty restored diplomatic ties between both Asian nations, which brought a reparations package of nearly $800 million in grants and loans. Japan took that as a settlement of all claims concerning that time period. With that being said, Nippon Steel stated in response on Monday, "Our company's understanding is that this issue has been resolved by the 1965 agreement".

  • World War II
  • Nippon Steel
  • Japan
  • Mitsubishi
  • US
  • Yook Suk-yeol
  • South Korea

Most Read

Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, executive director of the defense division of the Israeli National Cyber Directorate, undated (Social media)

Israeli-born US prosecutor drops Israeli officer child sex crime

  • Politics
  • 19 Aug 2025
Displaced Palestinians walk through a makeshift camp along the beach in Gaza City, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025 (AP)

Hamas, other factions accept Egypt-Qatar ceasefire proposal: Exclusive

  • Politics
  • 18 Aug 2025
Israeli soldiers stand on the top of armoured vehicles parked on an area near the Israeli-Gaza border, as seen from southern Israel, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025 (AP)

Palestinian fighters target Israeli soldiers, vehicles in Gaza

  • Politics
  • 21 Aug 2025
Almost instantly after the Helsinki Accords were signed, organisations sprouted to document purported violations, whose findings were fed to overseas embassies for international amplification. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)

How ‘Human Rights’ became a Western weapon

  • Opinion
  • 23 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference at the Prime minister's office in al-Quds, Occupied Palestine, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Netanyahu deliberately derailing truce with Gaza occupation: Hamas

Irish President Michael Higgins arrives to deliver his speech during a 42nd World Food Day celebration at FAO headquarters in Rome, on Oct. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Politics

Irish president renews call for UN military intervention in Gaza

US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the US Embassy in Aukar, northern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, July 21, 2025 (AP)
Politics

US envoy, Netanyahu discuss restraining attacks on Lebanon, withdrawal

Smoke billows following Israeli airstrikes in multiple areas in Sanaa, Yemen, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Ansar Allah vow sustained Gaza support despite Israeli strikes

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS