Korean memories of wartime forced labour and the 'history war'

Guest talk by Nikolai Johnsen, School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London).

Abstract

This lecture examines Korean collective memories of wartime forced labour and their role in the ongoing "history war" between progressive and conservative political forces in South Korea and Japan. It provides a historical overview of forced labour under Japanese colonial rule and explores how legal battles, including South Korean court rulings, have challenged Japan’s longstanding stance that these issues were settled by the 1965 Normalisation Treaty. A key focus is Japan’s World Heritage inscriptions of industrial sites linked to forced labour and the controversy surrounding historical recognition. The lecture also considers the broader impact of state policies, legal frameworks, and international institutions in shaping public memory and political discourse. By analysing both state-driven narratives and grassroots activism, it engages with larger questions of historical accountability, contested heritage, and transnational reconciliation.

About Nikolai Johnsen

Nikolai Johnsen is a scholar of heritage and memory who focuses on the legacies of war and colonialism in East Asia. He is a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow at SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies), University of London. His doctoral research explored the potential of dark tourism to illuminate marginalised narratives of colonialism in South Korea and Japan. Nikolai is currently engaged in a research project investigating transnational advocacy networks that aim to bring attention to marginalised victims of war and colonialism in East Asia.