In 1943, ethnic Korean school principal says Koreans lack work ethic and can’t handle the slightest hardship, uneducated Korean mothers are reluctant to send their children to the workplace
Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo), January 10, 1943
Reaction to “Hiring Koreans in the Workplace”
As already reported, Governor Koiso’s suggestion that “more Koreans should be employed in the workplace” has aroused reactions not only among businesspeople who have heard these words directly, but also among general industrialists, educators, and others. Let’s take a look at a representative sample of some of these voices speaking about every facet of the issues related to the employment of Koreans.
The Key is Good Guidance
Mr. Matsumoto, President of Kinren
At a recent meeting, the Governor said that he would like us to use Koreans as much as possible, but at my place, half of the directors of the All-Korea union are hiring Koreans, and almost 90% of the general employees working here are Korean. In addition, every year we hire about 40 new graduates from vocational schools and about 800 new graduates from secondary schools, so of course I agree with the Governor.
From my experience, it is true that the Korean people have many faults, so we cannot use school graduates as they are, but I think we should kindly correct their bad points and use them. At Kinren, those who graduated from vocational schools are hired as directors and those who graduated from secondary schools are hired as general employees. Within one year of joining the company, new hires are always interned in the union’s training center (dojo) to train. For this purpose, we have set up a dormitory and classrooms in the premises of Kinren that can accommodate about 250 people at one time, and when necessary, we also use the dormitory for employees’ bachelors for training.
Graduates from the vocational schools who are training to become directors are sent to this dojo for four months, and general employees are sent to this dojo for one or two months. In addition to the morning assembly, in which they perform the ritual bowing and praying towards the Imperial Palace in Tokyo and recite the Imperial Subjects’ Pledge, they are given the opportunity to perform labor service, from wiping down their own rooms, corridors, lavatories, and dining rooms to cleaning the premises and sometimes even sweeping the streets, in order to instill the spirit of labor in them.
Then, after giving them the desire to do their day’s work well, they are given lectures on the National Identity and practical apprenticeship to thoroughly develop their spirit. In the chorus of the event, they beat ritual drums that resonate in their sincere hearts. We are devising appropriate ways to make the consciousness of the Imperial people and the spirit of hard work resonate deep inside. In any case, Koreans can be of great use if they are trained by those who use them, so I think the Governor’s words are especially meaningful during wartime. (Photo: Makoto Matsumoto)
Abandon Perverse Habits
by Ms. Fukuzawa, Principal of Duksung Women’s Vocational School
The words of the Governor-General are very meaningful to us, especially in Korea, where there is a shortage of manpower for “wartime service in the workplace” and where there are more idle people than in Japan. As a Korean person myself, I believe that we must respond to his words by abandoning our usual leisurely attitude, consider our position, and rush into the workplace with a battlefield spirit this autumn.
Until now, there have been many aspects of the Korean people’s character that have lacked a work ethic. Even if they had a job lined up after graduating from school, many of them would just hang around instead of getting a job. This was partly because of their own mindset, but also because of the tendency of uneducated mothers to be reluctant to send their sons and daughters to the workplace.
In addition, once they found a job, they were unable to persevere at the slightest hardship due to their lack of training in enduring suffering, and in the end, they were disliked by their employers and lost the opportunity to work. However, now is not the time to be so complacent. We need to break down all their faults and perverse habits and make sure that each person is willing to work at a workplace that suits them, even if it is a small job.
On the other hand, from the standpoint of building the Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere, I hope that the people of Japan will not pick at every little difference in customs and habits, but will embrace them warmly and guide them so that they can work as Imperial subjects. I believe that if Japanese and Koreans truly unite as one in the workplace, we will be invincible in finishing the war. (Photo: Principal Fukuzawa)
Source: https://archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-01-10
京城日報 昭和十八年一月十日
”半島人の職場登用”の反響
「半島人をもっと職場に起用するようにしたらどうだ」との小磯総督の提言は既報の如く直接此の言葉を耳にした財界人はもとより一般産業人、教育者および各方面に果然一つの反響を喚び起しているが、今その代表的なものとして半島人就職問題に対する各方面の声に次にいくつか取り上げてみよう。
要は善き指導
松本金聯会長
先日の会合で総督が半島人を出来るだけ使ってほしいとのお話があったが、私のところでは現に全鮮の組合の理事中半数は半島人を採用しており、一般職員に至っては九割近くも働いている。それに毎年専門学校卒業生は四十名位中等学校卒業は八百名位も新しく採用しているので、勿論総督のお話には大賛成です。
私の経験からいえば成程半島人には色々欠点もあるから学校出をそのまま使うことは出来ぬが、悪い点は親切に矯正して使ってやるようにせねばならぬと思っている。金聯では専門校出を理事に中等校出を一般職員に採用しているが、金聯としては入社後一年以内には必ず組合の錬成道場に収容して錬成することにしてあります。このため金聯の構内に一時に二百五十人位収容できる寄宿舎と教室を設け、必要な時は社員の独身寮も使って錬成にあてています。
専門校出の理事見習いは四か月、一般のものは一、二か月この道場に入れ、一日中の行事を定めて皇民精神の徹底と努めているわけです。宮城遥拝、皇国臣民の誓詞を斉唱する朝礼はもとより、自分の室や廊下、便所、食堂などの拭掃除から構内の清掃、時には道路の掃除まで勤労奉仕をさせ、勤労精神を吹き込んでいる。
そして一日の仕事をしっかりやるという気持ちを持たせてから国体に関する講義や実務見習いなど精神錬成を徹底させるのです。行事の合唱にも「正心」と響いた大きな宮太鼓をドンドン叩いて、皇民意識と勤労精神が肚の底まで響くよう適当な方法を工夫しています。兎に角半島人は使う方で錬成して使えば立派に使えるので戦時下、殊に今回の総督のお言葉は意味深いものと考えます。【写真＝松本誠氏】
陋習を捨てよ
福沢徳成女実校長談
「戦時下職域奉公」に人手不足の折柄、殊に内地と比べ有閑人の多い朝鮮として総督の御言葉は有難く存じます。私共半島人としても、これに応えて従来の有閑的態度を捨て、自分の立場を考え戦場精神で職場に突進せねばならぬ秋だと思います。
今まで半島人の性格として確かに勤労精神に欠けている点が多多ありました。学校を出てたとえ就職口があっても職につかずブラブラしている者が多かったのです。これは本人の考え方もそうですが、うとい頭の母親たちが無教育で寧ろ自分の息子や娘を職場に出すことを嫌っていた傾向もあったのです。
また一度就職して忍苦鍛錬が足りぬため一寸のことで辛抱が出来ず、結局雇い主からも嫌われて働く機会を逸するという様な状態でした。併し今はそんな悠長なことを云ってる時期ではありません。一切の欠点と陋習を打破して各人が自分に応じた職場でたとえ小さな仕事でも喜んでやる様に心がけねばならぬと考えます。
他方内地人側でも大東亜共栄圏建設の大きな立場から、些細な風俗習慣の相違や欠点でも一々重箱の隅をほじくる様なことをせず、温かく抱擁して、十分皇民としての働きが出来る様導いて欲しいと思います。職場を通じ本当に内鮮一体となって団結すれば戦争完遂の上にも無敵だと信じます。【写真＝福沢校長】
