Newsflash on Drafted Soldiers and Workers

The records about the victims under the rule of Japanese imperialism are likely to be opened to the public and informed to the bereaved families. Japanese government had transmitted the records to Korean government four times since October 1971 to October 1993. Chu Kyu-Ho, director general of Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau in Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said, "They were not informed to the bereaved families due to the lack of human resources and policy priority. I will consult with related ministries and plans to sort out and to inform the records through the central and the local administrative human resources."

And the director general Chu added, "I will request for additional data and records. Japan deceived that it had no records about drafted soldiers and workers when General Treaty between Korea and Japan was signed in 1965." Song Kwang-Woon the head of Daejeon office of Government Archives & Records Service (GARS) in the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs said, "Basic index of names, legal domiciles, birth dates, etc. were completed in 1992-1993. And the details about the dates of deaths and the names of those who were enshrined in Yasukuni shrine will be put into the database by May 2002." The chairperson Mr. Song added, "Service through the home page of GARS(www.archives.go.kr) is likely to be provided after the database is completed."

Lee Ho-Gab gdt@donga.com