Langbahn Team – Weltmeisterschaft

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 primarily used by South Korean leftists against South Korean conservatives 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 tend to be more anti-Japanese than conservatives.[3] The term Tochak Waegu is commonly used to criticize South Korean conservatives for their relatively favorable foreign policy towards Japan. It is also used as a derogatory term for those who sympathize with the Japanese right or are perceived as too lenient toward Japan, even if they themselves hold anti-Japanese views. As a result, Tochak Waegu are considered race traitors.

Some South Korean scholars argue that defending the policies of the Empire of Japan or promoting historically revisionist views of Imperial Japan should be criminalized.[4] According to them, such measures would have the same legitimacy as the criminalization of Neo-Nazism and Holocaust denial in European countries.[5] However, no such legislation has been introduced in South Korea to avoid restricting freedom of speech.[4]

In South Korean politics, liberals and leftists tend to characterize conservatives as "pro-Japan," while conservatives often label liberals and leftists as "pro-Pyongyang" (or Jongbuk).[1] Given South Korea’s history under Japanese colonial rule, being "pro-Japan" is often associated with "fascism" (Korean: 파시스트)[6] or the far right,[7][4] while being "pro-Pyongyang" is linked to ppalgaengi (Korean: 빨갱이; lit. reds)[8] or the far left.[9] As a result, South Korean politicians, particularly liberals, equate Tochak Waegu with the far right.[3]

Criticism

The term Tochak Waegu is primarily a slanderous term directed at South Korean conservatives rather than Japanese people. However, it is sometimes used as a slur against Japanese residents in South Korea.[10] This usage is linked to the perception among South Koreans that Japanese people are perpetrators rather than victims of racism.[11][12] While some Koreans view the term Waegu as racist against Japanese people, others argue that it is not.[13]

A column in the JoongAng Ilbo, a moderate conservative news outlet, criticized the term Tochak Waegu, comparing it to a liberal version of McCarthyism.[14] This view was challenged by Hong Se-hwa in an article for the left-wing news outlet Hankyoreh, where he argued that the term represents "government-led nationalism" (Korean: 관제 민족주의) rather than left-wing nationalism. He also criticized right-wing Japanese nationalism and what he described as a "hostile symbiosis" between the two nationalisms.[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.
Quelle: Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tochak_Waegu