Six Koreans Confirmed as Subjects of the Japanese Army’s Biological Experiments

Records that Japanese Unit 731, a germ warfare unit that was stationed in Harbin, China, during World War II, conducted experiments on 1,463 people, including six Koreans, were disclosed to the Chinese media.

Regarding the subjects of the biological experiments, information revealing the names, addresses, and birthplaces of 318 people, including four Koreans, has been confirmed.

Harbin Daily of Heilongjiang Province reported on August 2 that Han Xianan (deceased), an expert on Unit 731, and Jin Chengmin (Unit 731 Research Center chairman) went through the archives of the Central Archives Administration as well as the provincial archives administrations of Heilongjiang and Jilin Province over the last 20 years.

There are 25 foreigners on the list of identified 318, including Koreans, former Soviets and Mongolians, as well as 293 Chinese.

The four identified Koreans are Lee Gi-su (28, Dongheung-myeon, Sinheung-gun, Hambuk, arrested on July 20, 1941), Han Seong-jin (30, Gyongsong, Hambuk, arrested on June 25, 1943), Kim Seong-seo (Gilju, Hambuk, arrested on July 31, 1943), and Goh Chang-ryul (42, Nangok-myeon, Hoiyang-gun, Gangwon, arrested on July 25, 1941).

They were all taken into custody in modern-day Hunchun, Yanbian, an autonomous region for ethnic Koreans (Joseonjok). There is no other specific data on the other two Koreans, and they are merely recorded as “ethnic Koreans.”

Victims deported to Unit 731 for biological experiments were underground agents, Chinese Communist party resistance forces, and anti-Japanese fighters, and there is no known survivor among the 1,463 victims.

After being arrested by the Japanese military police they were divided into “die-hard anti-Japanese,” “incorrigible,” and “of no value or use” and were deported to Unit 731.

Yoo-Seong Hwang yshwang@donga.com