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Tochak Waegu

Tochak waegu (Korean: 토착왜구; Hanja: 土着倭寇; lit. indigenous Japanese pirates) or To-wae for short, is a South Korean political insult used mainly by South Korean leftists against South Korean conservatives who are perceived to be pro-Japanese.[1] Tochak waegu is similar to the terms maegukno (Korean: 매국노; Hanja: 賣國奴; lit. betrayer) and minjok banyeokja (Korean: 민족반역자; Hanja: 民族反逆者; lit. national rebels or traitors).[2]

Political position

In South Korea, liberals and leftists are more anti-Japanese than conservatives.[3] The term is commonly used to criticize South Korean conservatives' relatively favorable foreign policy towards Japan. It is also used as a derogatory expression for those who sympathize with the Japanese right, and those who are perceived as too lenient towards Japan, even if they are also anti-Japanese. Therefore, "tochak waegu" are considered to be race traitors.

Some South Korean scholars argue that in South Korea, defending the policies of the Empire of Japan or espousing historically revisionist views of Imperial Japan should be criminalised,[4] which, according to them, would have the same legitimacy as the criminalization of Neo-Nazism and Holocaust denial in European countries.[5] However, such legislation has not been introduced in South Korea as to not hinder freedom of speech.[4]

In South Korean politics, liberals and leftists tend to characterize conservatives as "pro-Japan", while conservatives tend to characterize liberals and leftists as "pro-Pyongyang" (or Jongbuk).[1] South Korea has historically been under Japanese colonial rule so to be "pro-Japan" is regarded as "fascist" (Korean: 파시스트)[6] or "far-right"[7][4] while to be "pro-Pyongyang" is regarded as "ppalgaengi" (Korean: 빨갱이; lit. reds)[8] or "far-left".[9] Thus, South Korean politicians (mainly liberal politicians) equate "tochak waegu" with the "far-right".[3]

Criticism

The term "tochak waegu" itself is a slanderous term for South Korean conservatives, not Japanese people, but this term is sometimes used as a slur for Japanese people living in South Korea.[10] This is also related to the South Koreans' perception that Japanese people are perpetrators, not victims of racism.[11][12] Some Koreans see the term "waegu" as racist against Japanese people, but others argue that it is not racist.[13]

A column in the JoongAng Ilbo, a moderate conservative news outlet, criticized the expression "tochak waegu" as akin to a liberal version of McCarthyism.[14] This position was criticized in an article written by Hong Se-hwa for the left-wing news outlet Hankyoreh, in which he claimed it to be "government-led nationalism" (Korean: 관제 민족주의) that has nothing to do with left-wing nationalism and criticized right-wing Japanese nationalism and hostile symbiosis.[15]

See also

Notes

References

  1. ^ a b "Pro-Pyongyang or pro-Japan? Korea's enduring war over history". The Hankyoreh. 17 October 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2023. When Japan imposed controls on exports to South Korea in 2019, this led to an increase in the number of people using the phrase "tochak waegu" — roughly meaning "Korea's indigenous Japanese" — in digital environments. It was the most inflammatory term used in attacks against conservatives for being "pro-Japan". Conservatives shuddered at the "tochak waegu" name.
  2. ^ "노태우 때도 친일파가 공직에? 잘 먹고 잘 살았던 토왜들". OhmyNews. 17 August 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  3. ^ a b "김태년 "극우세력 마크 램지어 지지 참담…매국노에 토착왜구"". MBC 뉴스. 15 February 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2023. 더불어민주당 김태년 원내대표는 "국내 극우 인사들이 위안부 피해자를 매춘부로 규정한 마크 램지어 하버드대 교수에 대한 지지 서한을 해당 학술지에 보냈다"는 MBC 보도와 관련해 "참담하다"고 밝혔습니다.
  4. ^ a b c "김상수 "친일찬양금지법 입법하라..언제까지 시민들이 나서서 거리에서 싸우게 만드는가?"". 뉴스프리존. 11 October 2022.
  5. ^ Shin Dong-kyu ed. (2016). The logic of Holocaust Negationism and Comport Women of the Empire of PARK Yuha: Challenge against Collective memory and emotion through unhistorical narratives. Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information.
  6. ^ "대한민국 100년, 청산 없는 역사 / 김누리". The Hankyoreh. 10 February 2019.
  7. ^ "정진석 "일본, 조선과 전쟁한 적 없다"… '극우적 친일 DNA' 발언". 굿모닝충청. 11 October 2022.
  8. ^ "윤 대통령의 '정치 포기' 선언…극우 보수로 퇴화하다". The Hankyoreh. 24 October 2022.
  9. ^ "與 김상훈, 이태원 시민대책회의 출범에 "참사 영업인가"". Sisa Journal. 19 December 2022.
  10. ^ ""혐오 정치는 상대 절멸시키겠단 심리… 민주주의 심각한 위협"". 한국일보. 17 February 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  11. ^ "일본의 혐한, 한국의 반일". The Hankyoreh. 2016-10-07. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
  12. ^ ""헤이세이 끝나 쓸쓸" 트와이스 사나의 인스타, 그렇게 문제였을까". 한겨레. 3 May 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  13. ^ "'토착왜구'라는 말, 쓰면 안 되나요?". 서울경제. 20 February 2023.
  14. ^ "반지성주의 표본 조국·유시민…'비이성적 열광' 뿌리는 이것". 중앙일보. 31 May 2022.
  15. ^ "[홍세화 칼럼] 관제 민족주의의 함정". 8 August 2019.
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