Pyongyang, August 31 (KCNA) -- A 7.9-magnitude quake hit Kanto area, Japan on the morning of September 1, 1923.

The devastating quake set afire cities and villages of Kanto area, leaving a number of residents dead or homeless.

But, the quake did not only bring a natural disaster.

At that time, the afflicted people lodged protest with the government for failing to take relief measures in time.

Upset by the protest, the Japanese government architected a massive killing of Japan-resident Koreans, in a bid to divert elsewhere public sentiments against the government and tide over the serious socio-political crises caused by the quake.

At an extraordinary Cabinet meeting held in the prime minister's residence, the Intelligence Agency was ordered to quell the public sentiments. In line with the order, the agency spread such false rumors as "Koreans set fire" and "Koreans put poison in wells".

On September 2, royal edict No. 401 was issued to all local governors to spread a rumor about Koreans' riot and, under this pretext, massacre Koreans in Japan.

At an emergency Cabinet meeting, the government organized the Kanto Martial Law Command involving vicious officers. Rogues joined the army and police in the massacre.

They set up checkpoints in every corner and stopped passers-by to make them pronounce "go-yen-go-ju-go-sen" (5 yen and 55 sen) difficult for Koreans to properly pronounce. If they found anyone who was not good at that pronunciation, they killed him or her on the spot.

The killers used a variety of tools, such as rifle, Nippon sword, dagger, bamboo spear and iron hook, to gouge out Koreans' eyeballs, cut off noses and even disembowel pregnant women.

The number of the massacred Koreans reached nearly 23 000 at that time.

In actuality, the calamity was a tragedy brought by the Japanese government.

Japan can neither deny nor cover up the massacre.