Life in Seoul following Pearl Harbor attack in 1941

Life in Seoul following Pearl Harbor attack in 1941

Japan staged a campaign to recruit Korean soldiers, below photo, during the Japanese colonial period (1910-1945). The top photo shows a district for Japanese resdients in downtown Seoul in the early 1940s. / Korea Times file By Robert Neff When Harold Barlow Quarton, the new American consul general in Seoul, arrived in Korea on Nov. 28, 1941, there was little doubt in his mind that war was in the air. On a trip from the United States to Japan, he spotted a large fleet of Japanese warships steaming east ― in the direction of Hawaii. When he arrived in Japan, he was conveyed to Korea by “devious routes” aboard ferryboats and trains ― the windows covered with cardboard blinds to prevent him and his fellow passengers from observing military movements and installations. In Seoul, the tension between the Japanese officials, whom he described as being extremely polite, and the Westerners living in Korea was at a dangerous level. Nearly three quarters of the American community in Korea had left the previous year but those who remained ― mostly missionaries and businessmen ― were viewed with suspicion and treated with barely-concealed contempt by the Japanese. Yes, war was in the air, but he never expected it to begin so soon. Early in the morning on Dec. 8, Quarton was awakened by a missionary who telephoned him seeking confirmation that war between the United States and Japan had begun. He had heard nothing about it so he immediately called Gerald Phipps, the British consul general, for verification. Phipps acknowledged that he, too, had received a telephone call from Ethel Underwood, an American missionary, who claimed that Pearl Harbor had just been attacked by the Japanese. He told Quarton that he could not verify the validity of Underwood’s news. Verification was soon made when the Japanese police arrived at the gate of the British consulate and delivered an order for Phipps to appear at the Foreign Affairs Bureau at 2:30 p.m. The situation at the American consulate was a little different. “I got the report on my shortwave radio, and at 9 a.m. we were handed a ‘special notice’ in Japanese which stated that ‘the imperial army and navy fell into a state of war with Great Britain and the U.S.A.,” recalled Quarton in a newspaper interview with Wisconsin State Journal. Both consulates spent the morning burning most of their confidential documents and preparing to be searched. Even though the war between Japan and the allies had begun with an attack upon American soil, the Japanese in Korea seemed to harbor a greater hostility toward the British diplomats. The British were warned not to attempt to leave the compound or use their telegraph. For emphasis, a truckload of Japanese gendarmes guarded the compound. This may have accounted for Quarton’s belief that the British consulate was raided that morning when in fact it took place later that afternoon. According to Donald N. Clark’s book, ``Living Dangerously in Korea,’’ the raid upon the British consulate took place following Phipps’ appointment at the Japanese Foreign Affairs Bureau. “Plainclothesmen then descended on the British compound to enforce house arrest, beginning with a thorough search during which the British staff were made to stand, shivering, in the garden. The police took the radio, cutting off their contact with the outside world, and by 5:30 p.m., after a ‘harrowing afternoon,’ the compound had become a prison. ‘We are in an impenetrable fog,’ wrote Aline Phipps in her diary, ‘where we hear no one nor make ourselves heard.’” The raid on the American consulate took place at about the same time. Quarton claimed that “about 350 little brown boys (Japanese soldiers) swarmed the place, scaling the walls, running everywhere, inspecting everything. Radios, reports, account books, maps, and firearms were confiscated.” The Japanese soldiers were thorough with their search, even going so far as to squeeze the toothpaste out of their tubes to verify the contents. They were also somewhat destructive; knocking off locks from trunks and even cutting open unsecured bags. After the search, most of the buildings on the consulate grounds, including the consulate general’s office and the Seoul Club, were locked and sealed. Quarton and his two assistants (vice-consul Arthur Emmons and interpreter William R. Mayers) were then confined to their quarters. To ensure that the men stayed in the compound, a Japanese guard post was set up in a building that once served as the marine barracks at the turn of the century. Throughout Seoul, male Westerners, with the noted exception of the Germans, were rounded up, interrogated and then confined. Many were not allowed to return to their homes and families for several weeks while others, less fortunate, were confined for months. Many of these men were tortured by the Japanese police or their Korean underlings. The most popular torture was the “water cure” or as the Japanese called it, a “drink of water.” According to Quarton, naked prisoners were tied up with their hands and knees drawn to their chests and then a large diameter rubber hose was forced into the victim’s mouth. Water, poured from five-gallon tea kettles, was forced down these tubes causing water to “spurt from the prisoner’s eyes, ears and nose.” When the prisoner lapsed into unconsciousness, he was beaten with rubber truncheons and hoses on the head, feet, shoulders, and back. Often the torture would be repeated five or six times. Quarton insisted that the torture was not fatal but did lead to other serious complications such as pneumonia and tuberculosis. Clark notes that the most notorious torturer was a Korean named Song Kap-chin. He was later convicted of war crimes and sentenced to 10 years of hard labor. For the most part, the diplomats were well treated. During an intense search of the consulate on Christmas day, the Japanese demanded Quarton open the vaults and safes which still contained some documents, but, despite a gun pointed at him, he refused. Dumbfounded at his obstinacy, the Japanese relented. Recalling the incident, Quarton scoffed: “The Japanese admire fat people and they treated me pretty well.” But, by the time Quarton was repatriated to the United States, he was 34 pounds lighter ― part of the reason was the low quality and quantity of food. When the consulate was seized it had only a single trunk full of canned goods and a limited amount of funds to purchase food. A strict rationing was implemented. Breakfast was often no more than a “wormy apple” and lunch consisted of a mere fish cake. After the fall of Singapore in February 1942, the Japanese presented the Americans with 250 eggs. Quarton worried that the eggs would spoil and offered to take only 100. The Japanese warned him that whatever he did not take would be given to the British. “The Japs tried very hard to treat us better than the British,” explained Quarton. Also when Singapore fell the Japanese brought the Americans a bottle of saki so that they could help celebrate the Japanese victory, but the Americans refused to cooperate. “We refused to open the bottle; they tried to take back the bottle and we refused to give it back. We saved it and celebrated Washington’s birthday [with it].” It wasn’t only food that the American consulate lacked. The Korean winter of 1941/42 was relatively a mild one but the consulate was very short on fuel. When the coal was exhausted they were forced to cut down one of the trees on the compound. This additional fuel supply barely allowed them to heat one room and small amounts of water. The British, however, had a large supply of coal and Quarton considered asking them for some but was afraid of the Japanese reaction. On March 23, he and his staff were moved to the American consulate in Yokohama, Japan, where they remained under confinement. Supplies quickly ran out and the diplomats were allowed to eat, under guard, in the barroom of a second-class hotel. “We couldn’t eat at the better hotels because that would ruin their patronage,” explained Quarton. While in Yokohama, he witnessed Doolittle’s bombing of nearby Tokyo. The raid, which occurred on April 18 at about noon, caught the Japanese completely off guard. “They just couldn’t believe it was true,” recalled Quarton. Finally, on June 17, the American diplomats were placed aboard a ship filled with American and British citizens being repatriated back to the West. Quarton, along with hundreds of other repatriated Americans, arrived in New York on Aug. 25, 1942 ― weary and thinner from his long “unbelievable” ordeal in the Far East.

yesterday is today`s mirror ,December 3

December 3

1952 - United Nations General Assembly, South Korea adopted a resolution on the issue of prisoners of war.


1800 - Victor Marie Moreau hoenriden chapter in the battle to defeat the Austrian army generals.
1973 - Pioneer No. 10, Jupiter approach.
1995 - President Chun Doo Hwan, 12.12 5 ∙ 18 Kwangju incident and the bloody crackdown on the democracy movement led sugamdoem arrested.
1997 - Joins Ottawa Convention.
Birth [edit]

1368 - King Charles of France six years.
1800 - Slovenia peuranche peuresyeren poet.
1869 - Republic of Korea's independence activists, politicians, Lee Si.
1880 - Part 2 German soldiers in World War II von Bock pedoreu.
1886 - Jakob petereuseu Russian secret police.
1900 - Austrian biochemist Richard Kuhn.
1942 - Republic of Korea gimseonggeun's baseball coach.
1954 - Republic of Korea yanghuigyeong actors.
1955 - Argentina's former soccer player Alberto tarantini.
1963 - Republic of Korea Suitable novelist.
1964 - Republic of Korea ganggijeong politicians.
1967 - Russia's Aleksandr dyukopeu chukguin.
1976 - Gary Glover, American baseball player.
1981 - Spain's David Villa soccer player.
1982 - Michael Essien of Ghana football.
Died [edit]

1610 - Japanese Sengoku period, Honda armed dadakasseu

12월 3일

1952년 - 국제 연합 총회, 한국 전쟁 포로 문제에 관한 결의안 채택.

• 1800년 - 호엔리덴 전투에서 장 빅토르 마리 모로장군이 오스트리아군을 격파.
• 1973년 - 파이어니어 10호, 목성에 접근.
• 1995년 - 전두환 전 대통령, 12·12 사태와 5∙18 광주 민주화 운동 유혈 진압을 주도한 혐의로 구속 수감됨.
• 1997년 - 오타와 협약 조인.

탄생 [편집]

• 1368년 - 프랑스의 왕 샤를 6세.
• 1800년 - 슬로베니아의 시인 프란체 프레셰렌.
• 1869년 - 대한민국의 독립운동가, 정치인 이시영.
• 1880년 - 제2차 세계 대전의 독일 군인 페도르 폰 보크.
• 1886년 - 러시아 비밀 경찰 야코프 페테르스.
• 1900년 - 오스트리아의 생화학자 리하르트 쿤.
• 1942년 - 대한민국의 야구 감독 김성근.
• 1954년 - 대한민국의 배우 양희경.
• 1955년 - 아르헨티나의 전 축구 선수 알베르토 타란티니.
• 1963년 - 대한민국의 소설가 김소진.
• 1964년 - 대한민국의 정치인 강기정.
• 1967년 - 러시아의 축구인 알렉산드르 듀코프.
• 1976년 - 미국의 야구 선수 게리 글로버.
• 1981년 - 스페인의 축구 선수 다비드 비야.
• 1982년 - 가나의 축구 선수 마이클 에시엔.

사망 [편집]

• 1610년 - 일본 센고쿠 시대 무장 혼다 다다카쓰

yesterday is today`s mirror ,December 2

December 2
      1409 - University of Leipzig, founded in
1755 - Eddie Stone, the second lighthouse was destroyed burned.
1804 - Napoleon at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris took place on a three coronation. Updates from the coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself the crown on his head. France was the first emperor in the history of one thousand years.
1805 - Napoleon at the Battle of Austerlitz, Austria - Russian forces defeat
1895 - Peasants' War Leaders gapoh jeonbongjun chepodoem to two shunt (lunar)
1961 - MBC radio (AM 900KHz), countries in Insadong, Seoul
2008 - Constitutional Court of Thailand People's Power (PPP) Sikkim prohibiting political activity. Somchai Wongsawat as prime minister sacked
Birth [edit]

1842 - Charles William government aelkok British football.
1859 - French artist Seurat's neo.
1876 - German sociologist Leopold von Bizet.
1899 - Britain's commander, John Raleigh, Bobby.
1923 - Greek singer Maria Callas soprano.
1923 - Soviet Union and the Russian economist and politician Aleksandr yakobeulrepeu
1927 - Novelist John Steinbeck's Republic of Korea.
1970 - Republic of Korea, YG Entertainment's representative, former Seo Taiji & Boys member Yang Hyun Suk.
1970 - Republic of Korea Choi Sung-kuk's an actor.
1971 - Italy's soccer player Francesco toldo.
1978 - Republic of Korea Seongbuk baseball players.
Died [edit]

1515 - Italy, Spain, the war was active in the general Gonzalo Fernandez de Cordoba.
1969 - Former Red Army soldiers Cleveland borosilropeu moment.
2003 - Republic of Korea janghyohui pastor.

12월 2일

      1409년 - 라이프치히 대학교 설립

• 1755년 - 두 번째 에디스톤 등대가 불에 타서 파괴되었다.
• 1804년 - 파리시 노트르담 대성당에서 나폴레옹 1세 대관식이 열렸다. 대관식에서 나폴레옹 보나파르트는 스스로 자기 머리에 왕관을 씌웠다. 프랑스 천년 역사에서 첫 번째 황제였다.
• 1805년 - 아우스터리츠 전투에서 나폴레옹이 오스트리아-러시아 연합군을 격파
• 1895년 - 갑오농민전쟁 지도자 전봉준이 관군에게 체포됨 (음력)
• 1961년 - MBC 라디오 (AM 900KHz), 서울 인사동에서 개국
• 2008년 - 타이 헌법재판소가 국민의 힘(PPP)정당 활동을 금지 시킴. 솜차이 옹사왓 총리직 해임

탄생 [편집]

• 1842년 - 영국의 축구 행정가 찰스 윌리엄 앨콕.
• 1859년 - 프랑스의 신인상주의 화가 쇠라.
• 1876년 - 독일의 사회학자 레오폴드 폰 비제.
• 1899년 - 영국의 지휘자 존 바비롤리.
• 1923년 - 그리스의 소프라노 성악가 마리아 칼라스.
• 1923년 - 소비에트 연방 및 러시아의 경제학자이자 정치가 알렉산드르 야코블레프
• 1927년 - 대한민국의 소설가 박경리.
• 1970년 - 대한민국의 YG 엔터테인먼트 대표, 전 서태지와 아이들 멤버 양현석.
• 1970년 - 대한민국의 배우 최성국.
• 1971년 - 이탈리아의 축구 선수 프란체스코 톨도.
• 1978년 - 대한민국의 야구 선수 정현욱.

사망 [편집]

• 1515년 - 이탈리아 전쟁에서 활약한 스페인 장군 곤살로 페르난데스 데 코르도바.
• 1969년 - 구 소련군 군인 클리멘트 보로실로프.
• 2003년 - 대한민국 목사 장효희.

yesterday is today`s mirror ,December 1

December 1


1640 - Independence from Spain, Portugal
Events [edit]
1860 - British novelist Charles Dickens and his representative work, "Great Expectations" and 'All the Year Round' first published in the magazine.1934 - Sergei Kirov was assassinated.1913 - Ford Motor Company introduced the first batch of the assembly line, it is open.1955 - American civil rights movement: the United States in Montgomery, Alabama, black and white seven detailed soapstone Rosa Parks when it was applied strictly a white passenger on the bus, asking how the concessions were rejected. 381 days in two days' bus antagi movement began.1958 - Central African Republic gained independence from France.1959 - Cold War: Antarctic Treaty was signed. Military activities in the Antarctic has been banned.1962 - Airlines, founded1964 - Malawi, Malta, Zambia, the United Nations up1975 - Hyundai Motor Company of California in the first domestic passenger car production started.1976 - Angola, up the United Nations1971 - Indian troops were occupied Kashmir.1980 - KBS 2TV birth: TBC TV (Channel 7) in a media merger, KBS 2TV, rename it started broadcasting.1988 - Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, the first woman in the Islamic dangseondoem1990 - Channel Tunnel linking England and France be connected.1998 - four with two U.S. oil company Exxon Mobil on the planet by the merger of ExxonMobil's largest companies were launched.2001 - 2002 FIFA World Cup at Busan's BEXCO silsidoem jochucheomyi. (Draw a result the Republic of Korea and the United States, Portugal and Poland in Group D was organized.)2005 - Republic of Korea T-DMB broadcasting in Korea Broadcasting U-KBS countries. My MBC at the same time the countries, cultures were broadcasts.2008 - Janghang HONG new station station Station captured former divinity (hongseongyeok cheolgeodoem to secure the ramp area sinyeoksa live.).2009 - Historical and Cultural Park Dongdaemun Dongdaemun Stadium Station, two of the station is changedBirth [edit]
1083 - Princess of the Byzantine Empire and the history komnena Anna.1521 - Japan's Sengoku era generals, feudal lords Shingen Takeda.1884 - German Expressionist paintings, Halcyon, woodcut artist roteulrupeu Schmidt.1896 - Soviet Union soldier, statesman Georgy Zhukov.1935 - U.S. film director Woody Allen.1958 - Mexico's former football player, current head football coach Javier ahgire.1962 - Netherlands, a former football player, current head football coach Ruud Gullit.1967 - Republic of Korea bangeunhui actors.1978 - People's Republic riweyipeong football.1981 - Singer Park Hyo Shin's Republic of Korea.Died [edit]
1521 - Pope Leo 10 years old1825 - Russia's Aleksandr 1 year, Romanov dynasty, the 10th monarch of the Russian Empire.1830 - Pope Pius the age of 8, 253 Pope.1934 - Sergei Kirov Russia's Communists.1968 - actor Kim Seung Ho of South Korea.1973 - Israel's invitation Award, politician David Ben Gurion.

12월 1일

1640년 - 포르투갈이 스페인에게서 독립

사건 [편집]

• 1860년 - 영국의 소설가 찰스 디킨스는 자신의 대표작인 《위대한 유산》을 'All the Year Round' 잡지에 처음으로 실었다.
• 1934년 - 세르게이 키로프가 암살당했다.
• 1913년 - 포드 자동차 회사가 최초의 일괄 조립 라인을 도입, 공개하다.
• 1955년 - 미국의 흑인 민권운동: 미국 앨라배마 주 몽고메리 에서, 흑백칠세부동석이 엄격히 적용되었던 때 로자 파크스는 버스에서 백인 승객에서 양보하라는 법을 거부하였다. 이 일로 381일간의 '버스 안타기 운동'이 시작되었다.
• 1958년 - 중앙아프리카공화국이 프랑스로부터 독립하였다.
• 1959년 - 냉전:남극 조약이 체결되었다. 남극에서의 군사활동은 금지되었다.
• 1962년 - 대한항공공사 창립
• 1964년 - 말라위, 몰타, 잠비아, 국제연합 가입
• 1975년 - 현대자동차에서 첫 국산승용차인 포니의 생산을 시작하다.
• 1976년 - 앙골라, 국제연합 가입
• 1971년 - 인도군은 카슈미르를 점령하였다.
• 1980년 - KBS 2TV 탄생: TBC TV(채널 7)가 언론통폐합으로 KBS 2TV로 이름을 바꾸고 방송을 시작하다.
• 1988년 - 파키스탄의 베나지르 부토가 이슬람 최초의 여성 총리로 당선됨
• 1990년 - 영국과 프랑스를 잇는 채널 터널이 연결되다.
• 1998년 - 미국의 두 정유회사인 엑슨사와 모빌사가 합병하여 지구상 최대의 회사 엑슨모빌이 출범하였다.
• 2001년 - 부산의 BEXCO 에서 2002년 FIFA 월드컵 조추첨이 실시됨. (조추첨 결과 대한민국은 폴란드·미국·포르투갈과 D조에 편성되었다.)
• 2005년 - 대한민국 한국방송공사에서 지상파 DMB 방송 U-KBS 개국. 동시에 문화방송에서 마이 MBC도 개국하였다.
• 2008년 - 장항선 홍성역과 신성역이 신역사로 이전(홍성역 구역사는 신역사 진입로 확보를 위해 철거됨.).
• 2009년 - 동대문운동장역이 동대문역사문화공원역으로 역명을 변경하다

탄생 [편집]

• 1083년 - 비잔티움 제국의 공주이자 역사가 안나 콤네나.
• 1521년 - 일본 센고쿠 시대의 장수, 다이묘 다케다 신겐.
• 1884년 - 독일의 표현주의 풍경화, 누드화, 목판화 화가 슈미트 로틀루프.
• 1896년 - 소비에트 연방의 군인, 정치가 게오르기 주코프.
• 1935년 - 미국의 영화감독 우디 앨런.
• 1958년 - 멕시코의 전 축구 선수, 현 축구 감독 하비에르 아기레.
• 1962년 - 네덜란드의 전 축구 선수, 현 축구 감독 뤼트 휠릿.
• 1967년 - 대한민국의 배우 방은희.
• 1978년 - 중화인민공화국의 축구 선수 리웨이펑.
• 1981년 - 대한민국의 가수 박효신.

사망 [편집]

• 1521년 - 교황 레오 10세
• 1825년 - 러시아의 알렉산드르 1세, 러시아 제국 로마노프 왕조 10번째 군주.
• 1830년 - 교황 비오 8세, 253대 로마 교황.
• 1934년 - 러시아의 공산주의자 세르게이 키로프.
• 1968년 - 한국의 배우 김승호.
• 1973년 - 이스라엘의 초대 수상, 정치인 데이비드 벤구리온.