When Empire Ended: Japanese Residents Flee Korea   

• On Aug. 15, 1945, a radio broadcast by the Emperor of Japan triggered massive panic among the Japanese living in Korea and other Japanese colonies. While some had relocated there recently as expatriates or public officials, others had built their entire lives there. For these men and women, the unconditional surrender of Japan meant leaving behind all their livelihoods for a homeland devastated by war. The predicament of the Japanese living north of the 38th parallel was far worse than that of those living in the South. In Pyongyang, Japanese radio broadcasts stopped right after Liberation Day, adding to the growing fear among the residents. Even in the South, while the Japanese were largely spared from physical harm, they were permitted to take only a limited amount of goods and money when departing for Japan. The final days of the Japanese in Korea were thus marked by a chaotic exodus, ending decades of imperial ambition on the peninsula. Hyundong Lee Staff Reporter junior/1782808415/1613367831