Video recordings that prove Japan’s exploitation will be open to public

Video recordings that bring to light the policy of “cotton in the South and sheep in the North” under Japanese colonial rule was revealed on Thursday. The policy is one of the representative exploitation acts where Japan tried to grow cotton in the southern part of Korea and sheep in its northern region, making the entire Korea its supply center for raw material.

“We have identified some seven video recordings from the 1920s and the 1930s including “Sheep in the North say” made by Japan in 1934,” the Korean Film Archive announced at the Korea Press Center on Thursday.

The film “Sheep in the North say” contains how sheep had been imported from Australia in 1934, how their wool was sheared and turned into clothing materials and how Koreans were mobilized to raise the sheep. “As for sheep in the North policy, few records remain given geographical limits, which makes this rare video even more important to confirm‎ the reality back then,” the Archive said. “The video showed that the Japanese military headquarter was a censorate for the video recording and sheep were sent to ranch run by Oriental Development Company. This confirms that Japan’s military and the Company were widely involved in exploitation acts,” said Song Gyu-jin, professor at Asiatic Research Institute under Korea University.

In addition, videos of livestock show held in Sariwon, Hwanghae Province in 1924, an original footage of “In the Land of Morning Calm” made by a visiting Benedictine monk Norbert Weber from German in 1925 and four short videos that were made during the same period were made public. These videos will be revealed to general public on March 1 with narration at a free screening event held at Cinematheque KOFA in Seoul.

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