In this regard, KCNA met Ri Yong Hwan, candidate academician of the History Institute of the Academy of Social Sciences.

Q: Let me know about the local standard time Korea had used before the Japanese imperialists' occupation of it.

A: The Korean people had long called each hour after an animal in a 12-hour cycle.

On the direction of King Kojong in September 1885, Korea introduced Gregorian calendar instead of lunar calendar, with November 17, 1895 replaced by January 1, 1896.

Since then, the 12-hour system was changed into 24-hour system in Korea.

On February 7, 1908, royal ordinance No. 5 "On standard time of Korea" was promulgated, making the 24-hour system effective throughout the country from April 1.

Q: Then, how did Japan force Korea to accept her standard time?

A: The Japanese imperialists, who occupied Korea by fabricating the "Ulsa Five-point Treaty" in 1905, made their government offices in Korea use Japan's standard time from 1906.

Afterwards, they forced Korea to use it on a nationwide scale from January 1, 1912 all at once, as part of their policy for "making Koreans Japanese subjects".

The book "History of 25 Years of Policy", published by Japan's government-general in Korea, says that "the Empire of Japan adapted her standard time only to her government offices in Korea from June 2, Meiji 39 (1906) and made Korea's standard time adjusted to it from January 1, Meiji 45 (1912)."

Since then, Japan's standard time, 30 minutes earlier than Korea's, has been introduced in the country.

Q: It is said that the Japanese imperialists had abused the time to intensify the moves to obliterate the Korean nation. Can you tell me about it?

A: The Japanese imperialists had employed every possible means to obliterate the Korean nation under the signboard of "oneness of Japan and Korea" and "one and the same ancestry and roots".

They forced all Koreans to, like the Japanese, stop working and make bow toward the direction of the Japanese imperial palace when siren was ringing at noontime.

At 08:00 every day, students had to make bow toward pictures of "royal palace", pasted on wooden stakes in the entrances to their schools.

All the facts go to show how desperately the Japanese imperialists ran amuck to erase Korea from the world map and "Japanize" it.

The Korean people are now hardly repressing the surging indignation at the Japanese imperialists' criminal deed.