Korea Under Japanese Colonial Rule

Japanese gendarmes in Korea, 1910 (Source: Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

Japanese language being taught in Korean public schools

Japanese Troops marching through the West Gate, 1904

Joong Oh Rhee's father

Kook Dong Pae (2nd from the left) and his family in Taegu, circa 1938

Kon Ho Cho's mother, circa 1940

Kook Dong Pae's parents on their wedding day

Japan ruled Korea as a colony from 1910 to the end of the World War II, with the period from 1932 to 1945 being the harshest and most repressive. Farmers were required to surrender most, if not all, of their rice crops for export to Japan. The Japanese also banned the teaching of the Korean language and forced Koreans to take Japanese names. During World War II, Japan exploited millions of Koreans as resources for the Empire.

Click on a video below to learn about a narrator's experiences during this time period:

Chan Eai Pae shares her mother's experiences in a small village during the Japanese Colonial Period. WARNING: This video contains emotional content. Running time 3:25.

Kon Ho Cho shares some of his family's experiences during World War II (1940-45), which was at the end of the Japanese Colonial Period. Running time 4:34.

Next: Hear stories from our narrators about the 6.25 War (the Korean War)