Historical Tasks for Korean Physical Anthropology: Anthropological Implications of the Excavation of Korean Victims of Forced-labor in Hokkaido, Japan

Chung, Byung Ho

Abstract

The colonial rule of Imperial Japan had victimized many Koreans including tens of thousands of forced -laborers whose bodies were left abandoned all over Japan. Their deaths have been treated as statistical numbers in historical records. Today, even though half a century has passed, the excavation of their skeletons and the reconstruction of their forgotten lives as persons become important humanitarian tasks not only for the memories of the Koreans, but also for the meaningful reconciliation and peace among the East -Asian people. For conducting the historical tasks, physical anthopological knowledge emerges as an essential tool for identifying the victims and searching for their relatives. In August, 1997, a group of Korean scholars and college students conducted an excavation in Hokkaido, with the collaboration of the local Japanese groups, to find the remains of victims of a dam construction site. They excavated the skeletons of 4 victims in the bush near the site and have searched for their relatives in Korea. This project has some significant anthopological meanings. By taking the initiative and providing professional knowledge, the Korean scholors reversed the usual one -sided direction of the research: the imperial center and the colonial periphery, the offenders and the victims, and the researchers and the subjects. By taking international and interdisciplinary approach, the project established firm bases for comprehensive reconstruction of the skeletons as historical persons and for the mutual understanding of the hidden past.