The World On arirang

The end of Pacific War changed the destinies of Jejudo Island and Okinawa.
In 1945, the two islands became the final battle grounds in the Japanese military's plansto defend the Japanese emperor. Arirang Prime documents the horrors of the bloodiest battleof the Pacific War.

Also known as Operation Iceberg, the Battle of Okinawa began on April 1, 1945 and continued for 3 months and became the bloodiest battle of the Pacific War. A total of 210,000 people died and 1/3 of the Okinawan population was wiped out. Why did so many civilians die?

Toward the end of the Pacific War, the Japanese military desperately resisted to protect the Japanese emperor. It launched a myriad suicide attack units such as the kamikaze and used cave bases to maximize damage to the U.S. military. During the battle, the Japanese military used Okinawan natives as human shields. The military also ordered Okinawans to commit mass suicide in order to protect the Japanese emperor system.

Koreans became victims of discrimination as well.
The Japanese military abused Korean women as sex slaves and drafted Korean men into armed forces.
The Japanese also accused Koreans as spies and brutally murdered them.

Time has passed, yet Okinawa's battle wounds are still fresh.
Why have Okinawan natives commemorated the victims for so long?
What is their understanding of war?
The witnesses from the Battle of Okinawa voice their statements.