U.S. Indifference and Soviet Insight in Post-War Korea

The United States overlooked Korea's complexities, relying on Japanese officials to restore order amid rising tensions and emerging pro-communist forces.

### U.S. Indifference and Soviet Insight: The Early Post-War Situation in Korea
* 🇺🇸 After Japan's surrender, the United States largely ignored Korea, showing a **lack of understanding and interest** in the country's situation.
* 🇷🇺 In contrast, the Soviet Union had conducted **detailed studies on Korea** and sent experts to **assess the post-war conditions**.
* ⚔ The U.S. faced significant challenges in Okinawa, where **fierce resistance from Japanese forces** resulted in **heavy American casualties** during landings.
* 👮 The U.S. military government in Korea relied on former Japanese officials to restore order, despite the citizens' **desire for improvement and change**.
* 💰 The Americans offered incentives to bring back police and governors from the Japanese occupation, revealing their **distrust of the local population**.
* 🔫 As the advisory committee faced resistance and challenges, tensions escalated, leading to **violence and the emergence of pro-communist forces** within Korea.
* 📉 The initial organization of the advisory committee resulted in **less than 70 fatalities** as citizens began to form their own organizations in response to the military's actions.
* ⚖ The situation highlighted a **significant disconnect** between the American military's approach and the **aspirations of the Korean people** during this tumultuous period.

The United States, at first, didn't really pay attention to Korea after Japan surrendered. You remember the defense line, right? They took over that area and were indifferent. They ignored it completely. The United States had no idea what kind of country Korea was; they didn't study it at all and were completely unaware. In contrast, the Soviet Union had already been meticulously conducting specialized studies on Korea for some time and understood the situation well. They sent experts, like Stik Copra, to assess the situation. However, the U.S. didn't have that knowledge. The closest they had was Okinawa, where they were facing a tough situation. The Japanese were holding out fiercely, and during the Okinawa landings, many American soldiers suffered heavy casualties. The Japanese were determined to resist until the end, leading to significant losses in the operations there.

There was this guy, right? He’s just a country bumpkin. He was a two-star general, no, a three-star general. So, they sent him here to take care of things. The people, the citizens, are trying to improve their quality of life. Japan, of course, is in a period of transition, having left everything in a mess. They want to cleanse everything and bring everything back to order, but these guys come back and what do they do? They bring back the people who were police during the Japanese occupation, the governors from that time. They’re offering money and bullets to bring them all back. The Americans come in and say, “Come back, come back!” They think these guys can restore order. They don’t trust the citizens; they see them as bad, ignorant people. So, they bring back governors and all these American officers, and that’s how the military government was established.

Military personnel are actually engaging in politics. They come to our country and act as rulers. Initially, there was a slight organization of an advisory committee in the United States, and during this process, there were a few individuals who were killed, amounting to less than 70 people nationwide. This happened as the people's organizations were being formed. The advisory committee had its challenges, but when they called back the Japanese who had been involved during the colonial period and began to pressure them, they couldn't easily comply. They started to retaliate with guns. Some of these individuals attempted to negotiate, while others began to flee, which led to the emergence of pro-communist forces in our country. Do you understand?

친일파가 아직 살아있는 이유(도올 김용옥) Korea & Japan

인데타

Indifference to Korea Post-Japan's Surrender

The United States initially ignored Korea after Japan's surrender, lacking any understanding of the country.

In contrast, the Soviet Union had conducted thorough studies on Korea and sent experts to assess the situation.

faced challenges in Okinawa, suffering heavy casualties during the landings due to the Japanese resistance.

The Establishment of the Military Government in Japan

A three-star general was sent to Japan during its transition period to restore order.

The Americans brought back former police and governors from the Japanese occupation, offering them money and support to regain control.

This approach reflected a lack of trust in the citizens, leading to the establishment of the military government.

Military personnel have taken on a ruling role in the country, with a small advisory committee initially formed in the U.

The committee faced challenges and a few individuals were killed during the formation of people's organizations.

The return of Japanese individuals from the colonial period led to retaliation and the emergence of pro-communist forces.