The victory in the Pacific war of the United States and the alliance did not change the situation in Asia for the better. With the European powers in Asia, the new military conflict in Malaya and Vietnam developed on the base of the colonies and the anti-communist ideology. The colonial approach of Japan in Korea altered as the Soviet Union and the United States received the opportunity to change the political environment in Asian countries (Roadnight 2002, 249). The understanding that the modern world should not face such issues as colonialism or imperialism was the reason for the Allied European and North American nations to give freedom to the colonies resulting in changing the modern political and global system.
The war had a significant consequence for Japan as they lost their power over the regional import and the United States filled the vacant place as Great Britain and France were busy making peace in Europe. South Korea and Vietnam, popularizing the communist movement, were seen as the danger for the democratic world and were involved in the military and economic conflict (Lee 1996, 18). It should be pointed out that the way the United States viewed the implementation of the new political system, and the changing of the economic environment in Asia was polar to the approaches Great Britain used. Due to the fact that the post-world war was in need for the new methods of changing the political orientation in Vietnam and Korea, the United States received an opportunity to implement new mechanisms of power, rejecting the colonial control and applying economic factor, as they saw the need for the “informal empire” (Lee 1996, 19).
The Japanese had an influence over Korea for almost thirty years, and the way they controlled the colony was strict. It should be highlighted that, according to the official facts, the number of population in Japan and Korea changed over time and was transformed from one problem to another. The surplus of population demands actions from the government as the imbalance between the number of people, and the resources may cause a lot of problems that will destroy society. However, the Sino-Japanese war solved the issue in a different way. The great losses turned out to a deficit population that can be considered as an urgent issue that demands elucidation (Fujitani 2011, 36).
According to Michel Foucault, the French philosopher, the triangular system of power (sovereignty, discipline, and government) should be implemented for the society to prosper. However, it should be stressed that the main aspect of the triangular system is government and the way it uses knowledge and authorities to solve issues and develop the strategy for the progress (Fujitani 2011, 37). According to the widespread opinion, the Japanese rule in colonies can be described predominantly as the one that used repressions and exploitations to achieve discipline. Although some facts are true, it should be stated that with the implementation of the strict ruling approach Japan created favorable conditions for the development in the field of medicine and education, which aimed to nurture the Korean community. As a matter of fact, such intervention could not be possible without the implementation of the triangular system of power.
It should be pointed out that the question concerning the exploitation and cruel repression that Japan implemented while ruling Korea seems to be very controversial. It should be stressed that the Japanese nurtured the colony using power and influence. As the matter of fact, such approaches cannot be described as appropriate in the modern and democratic world; however, it is possible to assume that due to the repressions made by Japanese Korea received a chance to develop economically, culturally, and politically. The great majority of policies during 1938 were beneficial for the health care and education system in Korea (Fujitani 2011, 40). According to Foucault, with the decreasing of the population rate in Japan and Korea after the war, the significant decision was made to improve the living conditions of Koreans as they could be considered as a part of the Japanese society (Fujitani 2011, 40).
The presence of the United States on the Korean territory began in 1945 (Hohn 2010, 41). One of the most significant issues during the colonization period can be considered prostitution. It should be highlighted that the women’s body was often used to satisfy the needs of the foreign armies. This statement works for both, the presence of Japan and the United States. The women were mostly from poor regions and rural territories. Such women were called “military comfort” and were seen as a gift for the emperor (Hohn 2010, 42). During the first years of presence in Korea, the United States faced not only the issue concerning communism but also the regulation of prostitution and the fact that the soldiers had venereal diseases. The aim of the program was the spreading of important knowledge for disease prevention (Hohn 2010, 46).
The reason for the presence of Great Britain on the territory of Malaya can be seen in a favorable geographic position (Alien Orders). With the increase of the influence across the colony, British salesmen received the dominant position on the market. The long-lasting conflict with the communist has a lot of secrets that can be revealed nowadays. The great majority of shameful documents are considered to be missing or destructed during the last days of the colony (Bowcott 2012, para. 7). It should be pointed out that the jungle war with the terrorists was also documented, and the insurgents were eliminated. The anti-colonial riots were seen as the possible communist takeover, and that is, were choked.
The world after the Second World War was in need to change the colonial system; as a result, the process of democratization and humanism became significant. The process of decolonization was supported by two of the most powerful giants, namely the Soviet Union and the United States. Being free from the colonial rulers the countries can be called the countries of the third world and mostly face challenges in economics, politics, education, and development in general.
In conclusion, it should be pointed out that during the time Korea was the colony of Japan it showed the significant improvement in the economic sphere, the culture received a great push for the development process, the industry served the needs of society offering new workplaces, the educational system transformed and became modern, and the life expectancy of Koreans increased. The above stated achieved goals of the Japanese government in Korea prove that the power should be used wisely to accomplish changes. Although the exploitation and repressions were evident, it should be stressed that sometimes favorable conditions for life can be achieved only by means of power implementation.
Bibliography
“Alien Orders.” Colonial Film. 1951. Web.
Bowcott, Owen. “Colonial Office Files Detail ‘eliminations’ to Choke Malayan Insurgency.” The Guardian. 2012. Web.
Fujitani, Takashi. Race for Empire Koreans as Japanese and Japanese as Americans during World War II. London, U.K.: University of California Press, 2011.
Hohn, Maria, and Moon Seungsook. Over There: Living with the U.S. Military Empire from World War Two to the Present. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2010.
Lee, Steven. Outposts of Empire Korea, Vietnam, and the Origins of the Cold War in Asia, 1949-1954. Montreal, Quebec: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 1996.
Roadnight, Andrew. “Sleeping with the Enemy: Britain, Japanese Troops and the Netherlands East Indies, 1945-1946.” History 87, no. 286 (2002): 245-268.