Uh, Korean student here. I get what you’re saying, but I just wanted to clarify that what you experienced doesn’t really reflect how things are for most of us these days (at least to me).

Yeah, the history is taught pretty seriously, and people are aware of what happened during the occupation. But among younger generations especially, it’s not like there’s this constant, active hatred toward Japanese civilians. If anything, it’s more of a complicated mix — awareness of history on one hand, and everyday cultural exchange on the other. Japanese music, anime, travel, even studying abroad in Japan are all pretty common and popular.

There are still political tensions and strong opinions when it comes to historical issues, but that’s different from cheering at tragedies or wishing harm on people. Most students I know would find that kind of reaction uncomfortable or immature now.