It was freezing when I visited Seodaemun Prison. But the facade drop the temperature 10 degrees more reminding me of brutal colonial rule by Japan at the early 1900's.
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Seodaemun was the West Gate of Seoul which was destroyed by Japan with only name remained. Seodaemun Prison was used to encamp people who resisted against the Empire of Japan during colonization age. Many Resistance were tortured and killed. You cannot imagine how brutally they were treated before you visit here.
Wailing Wall does not exist only in Jerusalem. Many people who yearned for their independence must have been wailing beside this wall.
This room is now decorated with pictures of people who were sacrificed at this prison. They were neither thieves nor dangerous people who convicted felony. What they only wanted was the independence of their mother country.
The cells encamping people are preserved very well enough to help us imagine how painful it was to be locked up in such a small room.
This weird looking facility was used to exercise prisoners. Each partition separated prisoners to prevent them from talking to each other. There was no human right for people who defied Japan's rule over their mother country.
Many people were executed here with no reason. It was asserted that every thing went through legally but it was not true. There was only a rule in favor of brutal rulers. Who is endowed with rights to kill innocent people?
A poplar tree has been standing by the execution ground. It is called The Wailing Poplar because the Resistance cried before entering the execution ground mourning that they could not see their country was liberated.
The cold bricks seem to be still telling me.
Thanks for shearing such a amazing stuff and pics as well
that is a painful history, and those wall carry a lot of history, the wailing wall of Korea, i agree we should forgive but not forget
Thanks for your reply. I will follow you.
May I ask you where you are from?
Thank you for your wonderful post. It makes me wince just by looking at the bare hall in the prison. We shoul never forget and try to teach young ones about the history and lesson.
What an incredible and intense post @rubymaker ! Wow I felt like I was there. The way you write in combination with the pictures is incredible. This is a really interesting read:) really happy I stopped by your page . That prison is so fascinating and you really captured it. thankyou so much for sharing !
This is an insightful post. I had no idea you could visit Seodaemun prison. I've visited many places when I lived in Korea but this would have been something I would have wanted to see. There is so much history here.
You are right. Japanese visitors may come there to seek how to narrow discrepancy in the past.
저도 이번에 서울에가면 가봐야겠습니다. 그리고 사실을 알려야죠..일본은 정말 역사교육은 자기들위주이고 문제는 일반인들이 아니라 정치가들입니다. 일본인들도 혐한 조직에 ㅠ대해선 오히려 이상한 사람들로 보여지구요(미치광이들이죠) 제가 생각하는 해결방법은 장기적으로 문화적우위를 가질수있도록 하며 이야기할것은 많이 이야기해야합니다. 정말 합리화의 천재들입니다..양심있는사람도 많지만 이야기 표출이 잘안되구요
과거사 제대로 알리기에 대해서 일본에서도 양심적인 지식인들은 오히려 우리보다 더 적극적입니다. 그래서 우리나라도 정부차원에서 일본의 시민단체와 연대를 하는 것이 더 효과적일 듯한데 말입니다. ㅎ
옳은신 말씀입니다. 지금은 문화역량으로 젊은이들이 더욱더 교류하게 만들고 민간만이 할수 있습니다. 정부는제 목소리만 내주고 민간이 못하는 일을 잘해도 다행이지요