South Korea was under Japanese colonial rule from 1910 to 1945, and during this period, various aspects of Korean society, including the deaf community, were significantly influenced. After years of war, Korea was annexed and considered part of Japan until 1945, which turned into a cultural war. Japan essentially strived to erase Korean culture. Scroll to learn more about the impact of colonialism on the deaf community in South Korea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Education<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

The erasing of Korean culture began in the education sector. Schools forbade the students from speaking Korean in public and even learning Korean history. They replaced the curriculum with Japanese history and language. It was a tool for forced assimilation, which would lead to obedience of the Japanese. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This educational system focused on teaching manual labor rather than intellectual gain. There was also segregation according to Education in Korea under the Japanese: Attitudes and Manifestations. <\/em>Korean kids were separated into different classes if they could not speak Japanese. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sign Language<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The exact history of Korean Sign Language (KSL) and the deaf community is unclear in research. That means society overlooked deaf people. The only tangible evidence is the deaf schools established by the Japanese in the early 1900s. When the Japanese occupied Korea, the deaf community used Japanese Sign Language. During this time, oralism and JSL were the priority in the established deaf schools, which essentially marginalized the use of KSL entirely. However, the interchange between the two developed KSL as it is today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sense of Community<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The suppression of KSL during the Japanese occupation took away the identity of the deaf community. There was already an identity struggle during this time as Korea was a Japanese colony. The Koreans continuously fought back for their country and identity. The deaf community had almost no rights during the Japanese rule. They couldn’t do things like work or get an education because of the language barrier. There was psychological turmoil and isolation during a big part of colonization. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Limited Opportunities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The darker stain of Japanese Imperialism was the idea of the comfort women. It was a euphemism for a slave who served the Japanese military during WWII. Mostly Korean girls from poor backgrounds or with disabilities were promised jobs in factories because, at the time, there was a lack of opportunities. The military shamed, humiliated, and committed other atrocities during this time. Those scars remain even today, and Korean women are only recently getting support from the government for what they endured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marginalization<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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Japan also only appointed Japanese officials for the local government. Therefore, it gave Koreans almost no power, and that caused a lot of uprisings and refused assimilation. Before the occupation, Koreans arrived in Japan for better educational opportunities, but most worked in construction or mining because they came from poor backgrounds. They also lived in ghettos and experienced discrimination. For example, they were paid significantly less than an ethnic Japanese person for doing the same work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some Rights to No Rights<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Toward the middle of Japanese rule, the government considered ethnic Koreans residing in Japan or born to one Japanese parent as a citizen. Because there was so much going on at the time with post-liberation Korea, the defeats of WWII, and poverty, most Koreans decided to stay in Japan rather than leave. To return to Korea with no prospects and navigate an unfamiliar culture. Deaf Koreans risked even more by losing opportunities and facing new barriers in Korea. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the situation took a turn at the end of the war when the Japanese no longer considered ethnic Koreans as citizens and stripped them of their rights. In addition to that, they were barred from voting, having jobs, and participating in public life. They referred to them as foreigners. These ethnic Koreans suffered much under the new laws and were forced into illegal work to survive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even after the end of Japanese colonial rule, the legacy of marginalization continued to affect the deaf community in South Korea. The suppression of KSL and the emphasis on oralism during the colonial period impacted deaf individuals’ education and integration into society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Korean Sign Language in the Present<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by Marius Mann: https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/two-people-standing-in-front-of-temple-1663383\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Korean government recognized KSL in 2015. The passing of sign language recognition by the National Assembly in Seoul fostered a law that strives to support deaf people in community research, and knowledge, and create equality in Korean society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the time, the opportunities for deaf people in Korea were practically non-existent. Finally, a 2008 law was enacted to protect the deaf population. Because of that law, the Korean Association of the Deaf was born. The association advocates for over 100,000 deaf people in Korea through arts, entertainment, education, and job opportunities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Around eight years later, the 2016 KSL Act became a reality that protected sign language. That meant protecting the deaf community culturally and linguistically. It also states that no one should be discriminated against in any area of society, like public life, healthcare, employment, and education, because they are deaf. Korea now has dedicated learning centers specifically for KSL at the Korea National University. Students can even get their masters in Korean Sign Language. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Efforts have revitalized KSL and promoted the rights of the deaf community in South Korea in recent years. Organizations and activists have worked to raise awareness about the historical injustices faced by the deaf community and to promote the use of KSL as an essential part of Korean deaf culture and identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more on how colonialism suppressed deaf communities in the past, visit, https:\/\/unspokenasl.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photo Credit to: Photo by Pixabay<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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