Korean American historian reexamines Japan’s role in WWII

Quin Cho speaks about the Kwantung Army's roles in catalyzing World War II in the Asia-Pacific region during the "History Remembered: Understanding Atrocities in the Pacific" conference, organized by nonprofit Pacific Atrocities Education at the Presidio Officers' Club in San Francisco, Calif., Sept. 18. Korea Times photo by Park Jin-hai

The cover of "Rise of the Kwantung Army: Japan's Empire in Manchuria To 1932" by Quin Cho / Courtesy of PAE

SAN FRANCISCO — Quin Cho, a Korean American historian, always felt a deep connection to his ancestral homeland, despite growing up without much community exposure in Chicago.

Though both of Cho's maternal grandparents, who immigrated to the U.S. after the 1950-53 Korean War, passed away before he turned 4, Cho’s decision to become a historian was “connected to Korea.”

"Even when I was young, I was curious about my grandparents’ experience in Japanese occupied-Korea during [World] War [II]," he said during an interview with The Korea Times at the Presidio Officers' Club in San Francisco, California, Sept. 18.

Having few direct family anecdotes to draw from, he turned to books. One pivotal moment came in fourth grade when he read Linda Sue Park’s "When My Name Was Keoko," a novel that follows a young girl navigating the harsh realities of Korea under Japanese colonization. The novel’s depictions — forced name changes, food shortages, the relentless pressures of the Japanese empire — opened his eyes.

"I realized that many Koreans probably had similar experiences during the [Japanese] occupation, including my grandparents. Thereafter, my interest in history, specifically World War II history, was piqued," he explained.

Cho’s academic journey led him to study history and international relations at the University of Southern California, where his research focused on Korean resistance movements against Japanese colonialism, examining strategies and operations both within Korea and in northeastern China. With the Pacific Atrocities Education (PAE), a nonprofit dedicated to increase public awareness about World War II atrocities in the Asia-Pacific region, he authored a series of books shedding new light on the issue.

Linked destinies of Korea, Manchuria

His latest publication, "Rise of the Kwantung Army: Japan's Empire in Manchuria to 1932," released Sept. 15, is the first English-language volume dedicated to the Kwantung Army’s rise and its impact on Japanese imperial ambitions. The book details the transformation of this military force from a small garrison into an autonomous power that shaped Japan’s expansion in Manchuria.

“My awareness of Korea’s importance to Japan’s empire was a key reason I opted to write a longer history of the Kwantung Army that explained how Japan obtained a foothold on the Asian continent,” Cho said.

He emphasized Korea’s critical geographic role and devoted considerable attention in his book to Japan’s incursions into Korea.

Cho described the Kwantung Army as notorious for acting independently of the Japanese government — a pattern known in Japan as "gekokujo," or insubordination.

In 1931, the army’s actions in Manchuria triggered events that led to full-scale war throughout Asia.

Korea’s significance was evident — Japan had already established the peninsula as a critical part of its “line of advantage” for continental dominance.

The Wanpaoshan land dispute in Manchuria in 1931 made clear just how intertwined Koreans were in these imperial ambitions, as many became pawns in Japan’s strategic maneuvers. Despite many local Koreans being nationalists who had fled their Japan-occupied homeland, the Kwantung Army, insisting Koreans were Japanese subjects, used the controversy to justify deeper intervention and territorial control.

Japan’s own "Korea Army" played a pivotal role, sending troops to escalate the Mukden Incident beyond its original scope and openly defying orders from both the government and the Japanese emperor, undermining the established chain of command.

"While the Kwantung Army was the primary actor in the story of gekokujo that led to the conquest of northeastern China, the brigade it got from Korea went a long way towards accomplishing its aims," he said. "Thus, Japan's imperial rule over Korea directly supported its conquest of northeast China, tightly linking the destinies of both regions."

This photo shows the new evidence of Unit 731 unveiled by the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Aug. 13. Xinhua-Yonhap

Impact of imperialism still lingers

He noted the impact of Japanese colonialism is not confined to history books. The legacy of Japan’s occupation and the powerful Kwantung Army continues to shape Koreans’ collective memory to this day.

"Many people who were alive during the events of the World War II are still alive today. Among Koreans the memory of World War II remains a touchy subject, especially because Japan has not adequately apologized for its wartime atrocities," he said. "Consequently, many Koreans understandably resent Japan, both in Korea and in the diaspora."

The reluctance of many survivors to revisit these memories contributes to a continued silence around the occupation period.

Cho argues that the broader political context — especially Cold War alliances — helped perpetuate historical neglect. The U.S. overlooked Japan's wartime atrocities to strengthen ties with both Japan and Korea. Figures implicated in war crimes, such as Unit 731’s Shiro Ishii and technocrat Nobusuke Kishi, were reintegrated into postwar institutions on both sides of the Pacific, their crimes largely forgotten.

"Both men were responsible for mass atrocities, with Ishii overseeing live vivisections and the injection of prisoners with diseases, while Kishi oversaw the mass enslavement of millions of Chinese in Manchukuo. Yet both were useful to the U.S. government during the Cold War, which meant that their wartime crimes were forgotten," he said.

Prominent figures in recent Japanese governments, such as former prime ministers Shinzo Abe, grandson of wartime leader Kishi, and Taro Aso, come from families with controversial World War II histories.

The continued prominence of these figures and the nature of contemporary Sino-Japanese hostilities are direct outgrowths of the atrocities committed during World War II and the post-war global security structure.

Cho said evidence of unresolved legacies is deeply embedded in contemporary politics. "In this sense, the events of World War II remain relevant today," he said.

He also points out that the effects of historical silence are still evident across the U.S. and other Western countries, where understanding of Japan’s wars in Asia remains limited.

“In the English-speaking world, there is relatively little knowledge of World War II in the Asia-Pacific theater,” he said.

The war in China, which began before the conflict in Europe, consumed millions of Japanese troops and resulted in the deaths of at least 20 million Chinese, yet remains largely overlooked. Likewise, Japan’s invasion of Southeast Asia has faded from the forefront of Western memory.

Through his books and outreach work, Cho hopes to broaden understanding of this neglected chapter in global history.

"U.S. schools often overlook World War II in the Asia-Pacific region," he said. "Organizations like PAE fill this gap by using blog posts, videos, social media and new technology to engage a digital audience. Public education and history are vital to informing a broader audience, especially in the digital age."