Photojournalist reveals unheard voices of 'Japanese wives' in N Korea

Fascinating story, I had no idea they even existed.

What the article omits explicitly saying is that these Japanese wives may not travel freely between the two countries, and in most cases have not been allowed to leave North Korea, even for a short time.

While North Korean guides or interpreters attended each interview, Hayashi said she did not feel too constrained by them.

The interviewees definitely felt constrained by the presence of the North Korean minders. They knew that if they said something negative, it would be later reported to the North Korean authorities.

Hayashi said, "They happened to love Korean men at a time when Koreans faced severe discrimination in Japan, and they have never changed their attitude even under such circumstances."

Right-wingers will probably deny this report of 'severe discrimination' and claim these women were abducted.

Interesting article, this is still happening today, many mixed marriages were one partner sacrifices leaving his or her country to start a new life with their new partners, not knowing what awaits them, love is a crazy emotion.

Chongryun, the root of all evil, deceived those returning to " hell of earth" , and still exists as usual

A fascinating article and history on Korea/Japan relations.

Much, much better than the never ending stories about comfort women statues and the "lingering bitterness over Japan's colonial rule over Korea."

Interesting, would love to read this book. But I wonder with the attendance of a guide during the interview, the full truth might not have been entirely communicated. Still, will be an interesting read.

@rainyday

Fascinating story, I had no idea they even existed.

Some 3000 Japanese wives followed their North Korean husbands and were sent off to North Korea during the repatriation program.

Japanese hatred of North Koreans were such that Japanese government was willing to send off Japanese wives in order to get rid of North Korean men.

Beautiful story. Some -imo many- women out there would do anything for their man.

Not a great day/story for JT blokes who've been saying for years that most/all J women are incapable of loving them (gaijin men) wholeheartedly. Chin up guys!

One more interesting trivia.

Kim Jong Un's own mother was one such repatriate from Japan.

Had Japan not repatriated Kim Jong Un's mother to North Korea, you wouldn't have Kim Jong Un's regime today and have Kim Jong Nam's regime instead.

What the hell, I wikied and Kim Jong Un's grandmother was Japanese.

I knew about Kim Jong Un's mother being a repatriate from Japan, but didn't know about Kim Jong Un's mother being one of sent-off Japanese wives.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ko_Yong-hui

Ko Young hui

Born in Osaka, Japan, to a Japanese mother and a Korean father,[8] Ko's birth date and Japanese name in Japanese official records are 26 June 1952 and Takada Hime, respectively.

I knew about Kim Jong Un's mother being a repatriate from Japan, but didn't know about Kim Jong Un's mother being one of sent-off Japanese wives.

So both his mother and grandmother were born in Japan, is that right? Also, I've been told by a couple of people that Megumi Yokota, perhaps the most famous of the abductees, is actually of North Korean descent on her mother's side. Do you know anything about that?

@Alfie Noakes

So both his mother and grandmother were born in Japan, is that right?

Yes, it was known that Kim Jong Un's mother's family was repatriated from Japan. Kim Jong Un is mocked as "Root of the Fuji Mountain" in North Korea by commoners because of this, and this is why Kim Jong Un's mother is rarely talked about by the state media.

What I didn't know was that Kim Jong Un's grandmother was the very repatriated Japanese wive that this article talks about, thereby making Kim Jong Un 25% Japanese.

While Japan and North Korea have faced a lot of unresolved problems, including Pyongyang's abduction of Japanese citizens, "I hope the authorities will satisfy the Japanese wives' longing for homecoming from a humanitarian perspective," Hayashi said.

while i applaud her works, i am trying to understand her naivety about the humanitarian perspective. what about the abductees' longing for homecoming ?

"They happened to love Korean men at a time when Koreans faced severe discrimination in Japan

Now, Koreans only face run-of-the-mill discrimination in Japan.

. what about the abductees' longing for homecoming ?

I also often wonder about how the Korean abductees brought to Japan feel.

Samit

Cheers, very interesting.

Chip StarToday  06:24 pm JST

. what about the abductees' longing for homecoming ?

I also often wonder about how the Korean abductees brought to Japan feel.

Lol. Update yourself dude. If there is still any such, they must be finishing their happy lives here in Japan or just have been regretting for not repatriating during huge official repatriation projects for years to be spent.

What the hell, I wikied and Kim Jong Un's grandmother was Japanese.

I knew about Kim Jong Un's mother being a repatriate from Japan, but didn't know about Kim Jong Un's mother being one of sent-off Japanese wives.

Yup, the current leader of North Korea is technically one quarter Japanese.

Oh the irony.

Lol. Update yourself dude. If there is still any such, they must be finishing their happy lives here in Japan or just have been regretting for not repatriating during huge official repatriation projects for years to be spent.

Any support for this claim?