• Cross-Cultural Studies
• /
• v.41
• /
• pp.7-32
• /
• 2015

This study started from an interest in the unique history and literature of Okinawa and Jeju Islands. The Battle of Okinawa at a late stage of the Asia-Pacific theatre of World War II, and the indiscriminate violence in the 4.3 Jeju Massacre directly show the shared tragedy of the two islands; furthermore, they are are both located on the frontier of a nation's authority, and thus are symbolic cases. This thesis analyzes Oshiro Tatsuhiro's Island of the Gods and Hyun, Ki Young's Sooni's Uncle, both directly deal with the tragedy of two different but analogous incidents, and question the difference in memory struggle and definitions. Thus, though both novels show a similarity in focusing on and exposing the forbidden memory of mass suicide and massacre, the methods of suggesting the course of memory struggle are different. For example, in contrast to Hyun who took a different approach from the fury, accusations, and violence of South Korea to espoused forgiveness and reconciliation, Oshiro showed the changes in the form of responding to the mainland Japan.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.79-99
• /
• 2019

Apologies are used with increasing frequency for mending damaged relations between groups after intergroup conflict. Past research revealed that members of a perpetrator group may engage in (animalistic) dehumanization of victim group members to cope with guilt and responsibility associated with the ingroup's past wrongdoing. We hypothesized that ingroup's apology would relieve perpetrator group members of the moral threat, and therefore would make them perceive more humanness in the victim group members. The study was conducted in the context of South Korea's alleged atrocities against Vietnamese civilians during its military involvement in the Vietnam War. Korean participants read an article on the incidents with Korean government's issuance of an official apology manipulated, and reported their thoughts on the incidents and perceptions of Vietnamese people including their humanness. Contrary to our prediction, apology further enhanced dehumanization of Vietnamese people, even while it also decreased dehumanization through heightened feelings of relief. This study documents a seemingly ironic effect of intergroup apology, and calls for a more careful examination of the consequences of apology before recommending it as a viable strategy for alleviating intergroup tensions.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• v.13 no.11
• /
• pp.297-305
• /
• 2013

This thesis is a result of a study of the treatment course of post traumatic stress disorder because of the historical incident which is described in the novel, Uncle Suni by Hyun Ki-young. Uncle Suni survived the massacre which happened during the 4.3 Incident in Jeju Island. However, living a buried life, she suffers a historical trauma. To cure her disorder, she had to know the cause of her illness, such as auditory hallucination, mysophobia, etc. The author describes that kinds of patients should be ensured to get help not only in duty of the society but of the country and that historical justice should stand right. Uncle Suni reexperienced the incident when she happened to discover 'the white bones' and 'the lead bullets' while she was working in her 'Ohmpang field'. To cure her illness, she needed to confess her guilt that she had escaped from the massacre, and deep appreciation about the incident, which means she had to testify, and in the course of the testimony, she had to confess her inner feelings. To solve the historical trauma, there should be a recovery of connection between the patient and the society. The course of treatment should go from the patient herself to the realm of the society through which the patient, Uncle Suni can reach the recovery.