'Reaction of Japan to "Ahn Jung-geun = Terrorist"... Seokyeongdeok Says "Due to Lack of History Education"'

Controversy in Japan Over the Release of the Movie 'Yeongung'
Japanese Netizens Say "Korea Made a Terrorist Movie"

As the movie 'Hero,' depicting the last year of independence activist Ahn Jung-geun, is being screened, Professor Seokyung Deok from Sungshin Women's University pointed out on the 2nd that the negative reactions from Japanese netizens are due to "a lack of proper history education."

Professor Seo shared the news of the screening of 'Hero' on his Facebook, stating, "On Japanese social media, Ahn Jung-geun is being regarded as a 'terrorist,' causing a major controversy."

Movie poster of 'Hero'. Photo by CJ E&M,

According to Professor Seo, tweets such as "Ahn Jung-geun is not a hero but a terrorist," "Korea made a movie about a terrorist," and "Based on this movie, sever diplomatic relations with Korea" are spreading.

He criticized, "'It's like Iran glorifying Osama bin Laden and making a movie praising the 9/11 terror attack,' and 'Is ambushing and killing an unarmed opponent considered heroic in Korea?'?absurd posts like these are also circulating."

He continued, "This is the result of the Japanese government failing to implement proper history education," adding, "Yoshihide Suga, former Prime Minister of Japan, praised by Japanese right-wing forces, once said in 2014 when the Ahn Jung-geun Memorial Hall opened in China, 'He was a terrorist who assassinated Japan's first Prime Minister and was sentenced to death.'"

Furthermore, he addressed Japanese netizens, saying, "It seems they are indeed afraid of K-content," and "Since K-dramas and K-movies are gaining worldwide attention, they appear to be fearful that their historical mistakes will be properly exposed globally through the Ahn Jung-geun movie."

In conclusion, he stated, "To counter the increasingly severe historical distortions by Japan and China, it is now more necessary than ever to actively promote K-content worldwide," ending his post.

Meanwhile, 'Hero' is a film adaptation of the original musical of the same name. The movie portrays the unforgettable last year of Ahn Jung-geun, who assassinated Ito Hirobumi in Harbin in October 1909, was sentenced to death by a Japanese court, and faced his death, from the time he was preparing for the act until his final moments.