NHK, Discriminatory Tweet Against Koreans Using "Joseonin-nom" in Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Simulation

"Apologized for Lack of Consideration Toward Viewers"

▲NHK Hiroshima Broadcasting Station Apology Screen [Source=NHK Hiroshima Capture]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Japan's public broadcaster NHK apologized after causing controversy by serializing a fictional Hiroshima citizen's Twitter account depicting the situation during the 1945 Hiroshima atomic bombing, which included expressions that could promote discrimination against Koreans.

On the 24th, NHK Hiroshima Broadcasting Station stated on its website, "There was a lack of consideration for viewers regarding the transmission of what a first-year middle school student saw and heard during the Pacific War era without sufficient explanation."

Earlier, since March, the station had been broadcasting under the title "What if social networking services (SNS) existed 75 years ago? 1945 Hiroshima Timeline," covering the situation before and after the Hiroshima atomic bombing during the Pacific War.

It attracted attention by posting fictional tweets daily based on the diaries of three real people at the time. However, some of the fictional tweets by the first-year middle school boy contained discriminatory expressions toward Koreans at that time, sparking controversy.

In the fictional tweet dated June 16, 1945, the boy wrote, "Those Korean bastards casually say, 'This war will end soon,' 'Japan will lose.'" and "If the opponent is Korean, there is nothing to say."

In a fictional tweet on August 20 of the same year when the war ended, it said, "They are Koreans! Korean crowds, who became the victorious nation, board the train," and "Defeated countries get out! With overwhelming power and force, shouting, they broke the windows of the packed train, threw out the passengers sitting inside, and all rushed in through the broken windows."

This has been criticized for promoting discrimination against Korean residents in Japan.

The broadcasting station apologized, saying, "We apologize for causing misunderstandings that the person who provided the diary still holds the thoughts they had in 1945, and for causing inconvenience to the high school students and others involved in the project."