North Korea has called on Japan to investigate and apologize for the Korean victims killed during the U.S. firebombing of Tokyo in 1945. The demand was issued on Monday, a day before Japan is set to mourn the victims of the air raid. The request was made by a North Korean association representing those mobilized for forced labor by Japan during its colonial rule over Korea from 1910 to 1945.
The air raid, which took place on the night of March 9-10, 1945, is known as the Bombing of Tokyo. The U.S. Air Force conducted the attack, dropping bombs from hundreds of bombers. The goal was to pressure Japan into surrendering. The bombing destroyed much of eastern Tokyo, killing around 100,000 people, with approximately 10 percent of the victims believed to be Koreans.
Despite Japan mourning the victims of the raid every year on March 10, the Korean victims have reportedly not been compensated. North Korea’s statement highlights the tragic loss of life among the Korean population during the raid. It accuses Japan of keeping Koreans in custody, claiming they were exposed to dangerous labor and maltreatment. In the chaos of the air raids, many Koreans died in what North Korea describes as “accidental deaths.”
The statement also criticizes Japan for burying the Korean victims in 67 different locations, including parks and temples, without identifying the bodies. Later, North Korea claims Japan dug up the bodies and mishandled them. North Korea urges Japan to make a formal apology and offer reparations for the victims and their families.
The North Korean association insists that Japan conduct a thorough investigation into the remains of the victims, which have remained unattended for 80 years. The group is calling for full transparency and public disclosure of the investigation.
“North Korea’s demands for justice and reparation for the Korean victims of the 1945 Tokyo air raid,” as the statement put it, reflect the deep-rooted grievances felt by the victims’ families and the Korean people.
