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Japanese books being sent to Korean A-bomb survivors in Hapcheon County, South Korea

by Kyosuke Mizukawa, Staff Writer

The Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Hiroshima, located in Minami Ward, has begun collecting Japanese books from Hiroshima citizens and sending them to the Hapcheon A-bomb Sufferers Welfare Center, a facility that provides care for Korean A-bomb survivors in Hapcheon County, part of South Gyeonsang Province in South Korea. This area, with its population of A-bomb survivors, is often referred to as “Hiroshima of South Korea.” The collection is being undertaken because many aging residents at the center miss the days when they read Japanese books. At the same time, momentum is created for further exchange between the city of Hiroshima and Hapcheon County.

The residents tend to prefer novels and books related to travel and history, though any genre is acceptable and the books can be used. Donated books can be sent to the consulate general via delivery service or donors may bring books directly there by first calling in advance. Whenever a certain number of books is gathered, they are sent to the facility for A-bomb survivors in South Korea.

During the colonial days of Japanese rule, many poverty-stricken people living in Hapcheon County moved to Hiroshima because they had relatives or friends from their hometown already living there. The only nursing home for A-bomb survivors in South Korea accommodates 102 residents, whose average age is over 81. Japanese books are popular because the residents spent their childhood in Japan, and a library at the center has about 300 novels and history books.

Kim Dosig, now 80, experienced the atomic bombing at the age of nine in Hiroshima. “I’ve already finished reading almost all the books, and I can’t wait to read some new books,” he said.

The Korean Red Cross, which operates the facility, has faced difficulty obtaining books written in Japanese so it asked the consulate general in Hiroshima for its help. This year Hapcheon County will begin constructing an atomic bomb museum. Through this project, the county and groups of A-bomb survivors expect to deepen their exchange with the people of Hiroshima. The consulate general will call for the cooperation of citizens’ groups which focus on international activities as it seeks to increase the awareness of Hapcheon County among Hiroshima citizens. For further information, contact the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Hiroshima at 082-568-0503. It is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.

(Originally published on January 5, 2016)

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