Lee Jong-keun had been bullied at school because of his Korean heritage.
Revealing that he was also an A-bomb victim would have meant even more trouble.
So, Lee lived under a Japanese name, Masaichi Egawa, until eight years ago, when he first publicly revealed his identity during a cruise where atomic bomb survivors shared their stories.
Until then, he hadn't even told his wife that he is hibakusha. "No ethnic Koreans want to reveal their past as Hibakusha," Lee said.
Japanese atom bomb survivors had no government support until 1957, when their years-long efforts won official medical support. But a strict screening system has left many still seeking compensation. Assistance for survivors outside Japan was delayed until the 1980s.
--GreGen
No comments:
Post a Comment