Many of those waving the Greenlandic flag and protesting against the US are not indigenous people but Danes. [Yonhap News Agency]

It is reported that Greenlandic residents are protesting against becoming a US territory.

The first thought that comes to mind is, 'They are already a Danish territory, so what's the big deal about becoming US citizens?'

Let's imagine a situation where we go back in time to when Korea was under Japanese colonial rule, and the United States steps in asking to be handed over governing power.

Would it be possible for those who risked their lives to shout for independence, offered their entire fortunes as funds for the independence movement, and refused to betray their comrades even under brutal torture, to resist the intervention of a third country like the US by waving both the Japanese and Korean flags simultaneously, claiming it was wrong?

It sounds more realistic to wait with bated breath, hoping for some change.

Denmark Wants to Reduce the Indigenous Population of Greenland

On the 16th (local time), the New York Post in the United States, in an article titled "They stole our future," conveyed the perspective that Greenland's indigenous people are viewing the 'US intervention' as an opportunity.

One indigenous Greenlandic woman said she found out she would never be able to have children at the age of 27. This was due to an IUD (intrauterine device) implanted in her uterus when she was 13.

A woman who was forcibly fitted with a contraceptive device and had her fallopian tubes removed by a Danish doctor, resulting in permanent infertility. [Photo: New York Post]

A local fisherman laments, "We caught the fish, so why are others making money from it?" [Photo: New York Post]

This device was inserted into the uterus of indigenous Inuit women in Greenland, a self-governing territory, by the Danish government without their prior consent between 1960 and 1991.

It is known that over 4,500 Greenlandic women underwent such forced sterilization procedures by Danish doctors. Among them were young women as young as 12 to 13 years old, like her.

Greenland's population is 56,000, and the number of indigenous people would be smaller, and the number of women of childbearing age even smaller.

If over 4,500 women from a relatively small indigenous population underwent forced sterilization, one can only imagine the extent of this absurd violence perpetrated by the Danish government.

The side effects of these procedures were unimaginable. Many Inuit women suffered complications (infections, bleeding, pain) after the procedures, and some were left permanently infertile or had to undergo hysterectomies.

This woman also underwent repeated surgeries due to severe pain after IUD insertion, and the shocking fact is that in the early 2000s, Danish doctors removed her fallopian tubes during surgery without any explanation. They essentially performed permanent sterilization surgery to prevent her from becoming pregnant again if the contraceptive device was removed.

The New York Post revealed, "Denmark claims to be protecting the island from the US with military aid from Europe (?), but for many Inuit, the real threat was Denmark itself."

She also indignantly stated, "The Danes don't consider the indigenous people as human beings. They steal our land, our children, and our lives, yet they expect us to be grateful."

Last December, Denmark offered compensation of approximately $46,000 (about 68 million won) to victims of forced sterilization. However, she said that the idea of solving everything with money was another insult.

This is not the only atrocity Denmark has committed against the indigenous people of Greenland. They also involved Danish children in the notorious 'Little Danes Experiment.'

This experiment involved forcibly sending Greenlandic children to mainland Denmark for adoption or placing them in orphanages without parental consent, with the aim of reducing Greenland's population and assimilating Greenlandic children into Denmark.

As a result of this experiment, countless Greenlandic children were permanently separated from their families. She also stated that her mother, older brother, and relatives were separated from their families due to this.

The Danish government's treatment of the indigenous people of Greenland is akin to a policy of cultural genocide. While Denmark acknowledges Greenland's autonomy, to an outsider, it appears to be constantly devising strategies to gain complete control of Greenland.

Denmark is Leaving the Indigenous People in Poverty

The indigenous people of Greenland have no voice in the international community. In press conferences with US government officials following the US offer to purchase the island, it was always the Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs who spoke. The Greenlandic Minister of Foreign Affairs attended the event but said nothing.

Although news emerged that residents returned to their daily lives in Greenland after the US withdrew its offer to buy the island, the people who flew out were Danes, not indigenous people. [Photo: Yonhap News Agency]

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Rasmussen said that day, "If a referendum were held, all of Greenland's approximately 56,000 residents would oppose annexation by the United States." The reason given is that the United States would not support Greenland's Scandinavian welfare system.

So, what do the indigenous people of Greenland think about the Scandinavian welfare system?

A Nuuk resident who moved from Southern Greenland revealed that basic living conditions remain dire.

The rental apartments where he lives, decades old, are not only cramped and dilapidated but also plagued by black mold. Insulation is also inadequate. Even for such apartments, residents have to allocate most of their household income to cover rent.

A man who has worked as a fisherman for over 40 years lamented, "Greenlanders engage in fishing despite the risks, but they receive meager compensation. Denmark and large corporations largely take the proceeds from Greenlanders' labor."

He added, "We know that when we catch cod, it's frozen whole and transported, then processed elsewhere and sold at a much higher price."

For cod supplied to factories, fishermen receive only about $1.86 per kilogram (approximately 2,750 won). However, if sold directly to consumers, they can get up to $12.50 per kilogram. That's more than ten times the price.

The subsidies provided by Denmark to the indigenous people of Greenland also do not significantly help their lives. Instead, they serve as an excuse to leave residents in low-wage jobs.

On one hand, they engage in forced sterilization and abductions; on the other, they provide just enough subsidies to keep people alive while leaving them in low-wage jobs. Forcing the Eskimos, who lived peacefully in their ice houses, into cities and turning them into the impoverished, this is the truth of the favor Denmark has bestowed upon Greenland.

He said, "We caught the fish, so why are others making money from it? If they supported the construction of factories along the coast so residents could operate their own processing industry, it would be a great help to the residents."

If they truly cared about the indigenous people, instead of siphoning off their fish at low prices, they should build fish processing plants along the coast and put money in their hands.

Indigenous People Suffering from Suicide, Drugs, and Violence

Greenland faces another serious problem: the prevalence of suicide, alcoholism, drug abuse, and violence among its indigenous population.

According to researchers, Greenland has the highest suicide rate in the world. It is estimated that 81 people per 100,000 population commit suicide annually.

Even South Korea, known for its high suicide rate, has an estimated suicide rate of about 29.1 per 100,000 people as of 2024. This highlights the magnitude of the social problem of suicide in Greenland.

Currently, the indigenous people of Greenland have lost their way out. For them, some change might be better than continuing a life without hope.

The indigenous people stated, "Forced migration and economic exploitation that have continued for years dominate daily life across the island. To the Danes, we are merely beings of some small value. They claim to 'protect' Greenland from Trump, but we want independence. While opinions are divided on when that time will come, one thing is agreed upon: the current system is unsustainable."

They added, "We don't consider Trump a savior, but we see his interest as an opportunity. Thanks to him, we are able to publicize Greenland's situation like this."

They say, "For us, independence is not about choosing between Denmark and the United States, but about being treated as 'humans with the right to decide.'"

It is incomprehensible why the Democratic Party supporters, who so deeply resent Japan due to the painful memories of the Japanese colonial era, would side with Denmark, which occupied Greenland.

Reporter Im Yo-hee