Memorial for Korean victims of Japanese militarism. Korsakov, Sakhalin

About the monument

During the existence of Karafuto Prefecture, the Japanese lured Koreans to work on the island, promising big earnings and the opportunity to return. But there was not enough manpower, so there was no question of returning. No one was allowed to write to their relatives and friends, they were forced to change their names and even forbidden to communicate in their native language.

At the end of World War II, there were more than 43 thousand Koreans on the territory of Sakhalin. The Japanese left the island, and the remaining Koreans waited for the moment when the ships would come for them. On the highest hill — the "Mountain of Sorrow", where the memorial is now located. The ships did not come. Japan refused to take the Koreans home, as it was about citizens of another country. The Republic of Korea (South Korea) was able to provide only three ships, but they could not accommodate all of them. The remaining Koreans returned to the mountain every day with hope and waited for the ship.

Many years later, on October 15, 2007, an 8-meter-high memorial was erected, which symbolizes the sorrow and memory of three countries – Japan, the Republic of Korea and Russia. Locals call the monument briefly and succinctly – "Teardrop". The author of the monument is the famous Korean sculptor Choi On Su, rector of the Seoul Institute of Arts.