The Japanese author of the book that became the basis for the musical 'The Last Empress' is in Seoul to donate the proceeds of the book to Koreans still living in Sakhalin, Russia, taken there by occupying Japanese as forced labor in the first half of this century. Husako Tsunoda, who turns 85 this December, says that the book was possible because Koreans have been so kind to her. She doesn't remember how many times she's been here, but it's "been more than two hundred times," she says.

"Japan doesn't reflect on what it's done in history because they don't know what happened," says Tsunoda. "It's my duty to furnish the Japanese people with the basic material they need to search themselves." So far she has written four books, all relating in some way to Korean history and all in a way that discusses Japan's role in specific incidents. She says that the more historical research she does, the more she feels pain in her heart. Tsunoda begins to cry when she says that she want's to have nothing to do with those in Japan who try to justify Japan's actions towards Korea by saying it did what was necessary in the international situation in East Asia at the end of the 19th century or that Korea was too weak to survive itself.

Her name card is just that; her name, and nothing else. She is often introduced as a nonfiction writer, author, and reporter, but says she isn't qualified for any of these titles. Tsunoda says that she herself was disappointed with 'The Last Empress,' and isn't confident about the 'Imjin Waeran,' a book about the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592 which she is still in the process of writing. Nevertheless, Tsunoda says she will write about Korea until the day she dies.