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Osaka court upholds ruling banning anti-Korean hate speech outside school

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The Osaka high court on Tuesday upheld a lower court ruling that hate speech by a Japanese group directed at a Korean school in Japan is unlawful.

The group, Zaitokukai, had appealed a ruling by the Kyoto district court last October in which it was ordered to pay 12 million yen in damages after its members yelled abuse outside a pro-Pyongyang Korean elementary school in Kyoto.

Members of Zaitokukai, which describes itself as a citizens' assembly opposed to granting special rights to foreigners residing in Japan, stood outside the school on several occasions in 2009 and 2010, demanding that Korean schools be shut down and that the Korean children's parents were spies, TBS reported. The group also posted video footage of the rallies online.

Osaka High Court Presiding Judge Hiroshi Mori said in his ruling that the rallies outside the school were clearly driven by racist ideals, and not at all in the interests of public, TBS reported.

He said the rallies, which disturbed classes and scared children, constitute racial discrimination defined under the United Nations' convention on the elimination of racial discrimination, which Japan has ratified.

Along with the ruling on paying compensation, Zaitokukai has also been ordered by the court to cease all such activities within a 200-meter radius of the school from now on.

However, a lawyer for the group said it will appeal the Osaka court's ruling to the Supreme Court, arguing that its members were expressing a political opinion.

Officials from Zaitokukai, which boats more than 10,000 members, say they were protesting the Kyoto school's use of a nearby city-run park without permission. They say they are protesting alleged "special privileges" given to ethnic Koreans, and say Japan's welfare system is abused by Korean residents.

Though attendance at such rallies has been limited to a few hundred people at most and they are far from becoming mainstream, similar demonstrations of nationalists targeting ethnic Koreans and other minorities have escalated over the past year in Tokyo and other cities, amid Japan's chilly diplomatic relations with its Asian neighbors.

Last year, in Tokyo's Shin-Okubo district, dotted with Korean restaurants and shops popular among South Korean pop-culture fans, hundreds of Zaitokukai members and supporters called Koreans "cockroaches," shouted "Kill Koreans" and threatened to "throw them into the sea."

There are about 500,000 Koreans in Japan - the country's largest ethnic minority group - and many are descendants of forced laborers shipped to Japan during its 1910-1945 colonial rule of Korea. They still face discrimination in education, marriage and jobs.

© Japan Today/AP

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55 Comments
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Can't you just let a piece of good news be good news without being a smartass?

-6 ( +5 / -11 )

i don't get the last sentence. how is one discriminated against in marriage?

that being said, this is good news. but the 200 meter radius should be enlarged to 500 or 1,000 meters.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

It's time Japan had laws banning such hate speech completely. It's time nationalists were arrested for driving around in black vans spitting venom and it's time people who scream hatred and try to evoke the slaughter of Koreans be arrested:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pE2ms1P56I

8 ( +13 / -5 )

There are about 500,000 Koreans in Japan - the country’s largest ethnic minority group -

This is old data. I believe in terms of overall numbers Chinese passport holders now outnumber Koreans in Japan by a considerable margin.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

This is potentially a very important decision and it might be worth pointing out why that is.

Japan has no specific law banning racial discrimination or hate speech. However, lower courts have interpreted the existing civil code to say that harm caused by acts of discrimination are equivalent to any other type of harm (assault, threats defamation etc). This broad principle is actually quite extraordinary because in theory it goes beyond the discrimination protections that many western countries offer because it seems to extend to discrimination in all types of private activities (such as the private protest in this case), rather than just in hiring, employment or property rentals etc, which is usually all that is protected in western countries.

The argument on the other side is that this goes too far because it can, in theory, restrict free speech. For example, if someone on the street uses a racial slur and the other person suffers psychological harm because of hearing it, they could potentially sue the maker of the statement. In countries like America, your right to make bigoted racial slurs is protected free speech even if it hurts another person, provided you are not an employer, landlord etc.

This case was important because none of the lower court decisions were ever appealed to a High Court until now. Many people were sceptical that the court would uphold this broad protection but it seems like they have. Also, the very minimal 200 meter radius is only a temporary measure to allow the defendants to continue protesting until the Supreme Court hears the case.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Elimination of racial discrimination adopted by Japan.

Great, I'm be looking forward to this being put into effect when applying for credit cards, loans, trying to find an apartment to rent, visit certain onsen, certain bars and anything else a tax paying resident should be able to do.....

Oh right.. its ok to do racial profiling then......

3 ( +7 / -4 )

Great, I'm be looking forward to this being put into effect when applying for credit cards, loans, trying to find an apartment to rent, visit certain onsen, certain bars and anything else a tax paying resident should be able to do.....

In regards to your list, the only one that is any sort of example of discrimination is the apartment rental. It's horrible that such discrimination against legal residents is permitted.

But as for the rest? Credit cards are super easy to get. Loans are easy if you are a permanent resident (impossible if you are not). I've never heard of any case where people were banned from onsen except in case of tattoos, but that's the same for Japanese and non-Japanese (I realize there is one discrimination case, but it was so long ago as to be irrelevant).

Anyway I think this ruling is a good thing. Clearly these demonstrations were far from simple political demonstrations and veered into harassment. It's hard defending the sorts of people who would harass children....

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

i don't get the last sentence. how is one discriminated against in marriage?

Parents of engaged kids refuse to allow their child to marry an ethnic Korean. When city hall records were public, some would go and suss out the backgrounds of others. Now they just hire someone to do it for them.

0 ( +6 / -6 )

These racist Japanese people are disgusting. These Koreans are just trying to live a normal peaceful life and these racists want to slaughter them because they are not Japanese?? There is nothing wrong with South Koreans, nor North Korean citizens, its the North Korean Government that's the problem!! The citizens of North Korean cannot understand that the government is corrupt because they have been brought up not to understand. There are a lot of North Koreans, as everyone is well aware of, in camps being tortured. These Japanese racists sound like terrorists. They should be locked up. If they cannot distinguish between right and wrong they shouldn't be out preaching. They aren't spreading a good message, not even giving a good impression of themselves nor a good example. These Japanese racists know nothing of pain, Koreans have suffered in numerous ways and these Japanese racists cannot even show kindness to them.

4 ( +10 / -6 )

Kaal Singh You probably don't live in Japan. You probably don't know how strong SK's anti-Japan propagandas are, how much they're hurting Japanese people's feelings every day. Now less and less Japanese travel to SK. Most Japanese are so angry at SK that they want it's diplomatic relation cut.

-7 ( +6 / -13 )

Now if only Korea can do the same.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

tinawatanabe, I probably do not know that much but from the reading I've done not all south koreans are against Japanese. The ones that are, are misled. Especially children are by adults that cannot forgive the Japanese for past mistakes during the world wars. This is my opinion:

This still doesn't give an excuse to go to a school full of children and tell them how you are going to massacre them. No matter what, we should be seeking peaceful means to achieve our goals. And the Japanese people protesting should be protesting peacefully and it should be to their government. Not threatening children. If the anti-Japan propaganda is not causing physical harm to Japanese, the Japanese shouldn't threaten to retaliate in such a way. To retaliate in that way is wrong anyway. SK need to forget about the past now, the Japanese living now are not the ones in the world wars that caused harm to koreans. But Japanese should show kindness regardless of the propaganda because that will be the only way koreans will learn.

1 ( +6 / -5 )

I don't get the last sentence. how is one discriminated against in marriage?

Woah! Do you even live in Japan?

A few cases I can tell you about, involving people close to me:

A beautiful, educated, cultured Japanese piano teacher falls in love with a handsome, hardworking half-Korean, half-Japanese restaurant owner who has never even been to Korea in his life, and knows no other country but Japan. She marries him. Her parents disown her. They don't want to meet her baby. They regard the baby as tainted.

A second-generation Korean woman (again, she has never visited Korea in her life, and knows nothing about the culture) falls in love with a Japanese man. It takes ten whole years to get his parents' permission for them to marry, and only after, at their insistence, she relinquishes her Korean nationality and becomes officially Japanese. This couple now have three children, who all been sworn to secrecy about their shameful Korean ancestry. (The only reason I found out about it was because the mother asked me to make sure her children didn't let anything slip. Imagine what it's like for the kids, living with that! And imagine how that mother feels, living with that sense of betrayal against her own parents.)

An Australian women moves to Japan and marries a Korean man who was born and raised in Japan and knows no other language, culture, or custom. Their marriage starts out well enough, but eventually becomes snowed under an enormous weight of red tape and paperwork, especially when kids are born and they are trying to seek Japanese nationality for them. Unfortunately the marriage doesn't survive the hassle, not to mention the social prejudice she receives from the Japanese people around her. She moves back to Australia, with the kids.

Now, these attitudes are definitely relaxing, and I can tell you about a lot of success stories, too (generally Japanese/Korean matches work well, probably because of the similarities in cultures and value systems). But so-called "marriage discrimination (kekkon sabetsu)," even between Japanese people, has a time-honored tradition in Japan. You'd be surprised.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

Tessa, wasn't there a court case fairly recently where a Japanese woman who found out she had Korean blood, sued a Japanese fiance, over breaking up the engagement? The Japanese man hired a private detective, which uncovered that the woman's family had a Korean grandfather. The man broke off the engagement, and the woman sued. In Japan, even being one quarter Korean (not even full blooded), is considered tainted. It doesn't matter how long you've lived in Japan, and it doesn't matter if you have Japanese citizenship or not. For Koreans, Japanese citizenship papers are just a means to hide their family's ethnic backgrounds.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

In June 2013 there were 526,575 Zainichi, Koreans in Japan. Of whom 373,689 held permanent resident status. There are also nearly 300,000 naturalized Japanese citizens who were formerly Koreans.

This quote from wikipedia is useful for understanding issues:

Pro-North Zainichi who maintained their Joseon nationalities have been called "North Koreans in Japan" in English by >writers such as Sonia Ryang. While this term is technically correct, it is somewhat misleading. Zainichi Chōsenjin, as >they are called, in the vast majority of cases settled in Japan before the modern state of North Korea was instituted, >and in most cases originate from the south of the Korean Peninsula. Their status as "North Koreans" is based almost >entirely on their historical ideological loyalties

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Good post, Papi!

The Japanese man hired a private detective, which uncovered that the woman's family had a Korean grandfather.

Background checks are actually quite common in Kansai (Osaka and thereabouts) in well-off families but it it is such a taboo topic that you'll almost never get anyone to admit to it. Also, they aren't limited to potential outsiders such as Koreans and other foreigners, but to fellow Japanese as well ... but that's a different topic.

For Koreans, Japanese citizenship papers are just a means to hide their family's ethnic backgrounds.

Yes, fully agree. I think a lot of "zainichi" naturalize when they want to marry and be accepted by their spouse's family.

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

Kaal Singh You probably don't live in Japan. You probably don't know how strong SK's anti-Japan propagandas are, how much they're hurting Japanese people's feelings every day.

Yes, those poor Japanese who have nasty Koreans scaring their kids, holdings demos in Japanese neighborhoods and saying they should die. Poor Japanese.

Tessa, did you see "Hafu"? Half Korean/half Japanese girl was lied to by her parents to protect her from it all. She only found out when she went to city hall to get paperwork and saw that her father changed nationality after she was born. Really sad that parents here feel they have to hide who they are because of discrimination.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

Huh, I think that's the school near my apartment. Oh ZKK, you guys hurt my head so much.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Papi2013 "marriage discrimination"? What's discrimination about Japanese choosing Japanese in marriage? Your story has more. The woman approached him hiding her identity. The Japanese man was a politician working against voting right to Koreans in japan.

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

The court ruling is a good step. Still many to be taken for sure, but still, better than not starting.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

tinawatanabe, did she discover that before or after the husband decided to file for divorce? Because if it's after, it's pretty problematic.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I've read about the (so called) north Korean schools before .

Could someone please answer me

1) are there 'south Korean schools' too? 2) what is the relationship like between so called SK & NK people in Japan? 3) why don't they all (SK NK & Japanese ) go to the same schools???!

Just interested - thanks!

0 ( +1 / -1 )

smig- this short vice documentary has some good info in it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kw8aM4l1L4

0 ( +0 / -0 )

smig1975, I know the answer for 3). Those who go to Korean schools refuse to go to Japanese schools.

Lex Luu, she discover what? And it's the Korean woman who sued the Japanese fiance (note he was not husband). I think anybody can break engagement with any reason.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Noise control legislation would cure so many social ills - uyoku, bosozoku, amplified bike, car and truck mufflers, over-noisy shopfronts.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

tinawatanabe, did she discover that she was Korean before or after he broke of the engagement?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Background checks are actually quite common in Kansai (Osaka and thereabouts) in well-off families but it it is such a taboo topic that you'll almost never get anyone to admit to it.

Because it's illegal...I don't know when it became so, but it is. People will, though, try through connections to find out what they can.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

2-0. Looking forward to this hate group of scum losing in the Supreme Court and losing more of their money. It would be ideal if the court used the fines to pay for community projects and gave the funds directly to these ethnic Koreans and other good ordinary folks. That would be the best punishment of all, would it not? Anyway, common sense prevailing here, even if the law cannot punish such hateful actions.

I would like to ask these fools: "WHAT ABOUT THE RIGHTS OF THE VAST MAJORITY OF JAPANESE WHO DO NOT AGREE WITH, AND DO NOT WANT TO HEAR SUCH SICKENING WORDS?"

In many other countries they would be imprisoned and rightly so. Chanting such sickening words is the best way for them to show the world how poorly educated and ignorant they are. There is some (but not much) comfort for the majority of us decent and ordinary folks who can realize this when they cannot. Time to speed up the parole of well-behaved prisoners to make more jail space for the haters.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

In Japan, even being one quarter Korean (not even full blooded), is considered tainted.

Wow... it sounds like what happened under apartheid.

In many other countries they would be imprisoned and rightly so.

Yes, Freedom of speech should not extend to threats of violence against another. Keep bringing lawsuits against them and fining them into their well-earned oblivion.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Lex Luu I said in my post above, "she approached the politicien hiding her identity" Of course she knew her identity. So, why is it a discrimination for a Japanese politicien to prefer a Japanese woman as his wife? Personal preference.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Back on topic please.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

How low can you go, hate speech in front of an elementary school? Hate speech where many children are gathering and walking by? It is obvious this should be unacceptable.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Tinawatanabe, You are incorrect.Lots of Korean students go to Japanese schools.It is only the privileged ones that can go to the private Korean school.I also feel this problem is not limited to K/J.It is a general attitude Japanese have to all foreigners.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

How low can you go, hate speech in front of an elementary school?

I would like to know if there are similar militant hate-groups in South Korea -- ones that actually wish death upon Japanese. If so, how does the ROK government deal with them..(My searches on "Korean hate group" return a plethora of anti-Korean Japanese entries.)

0 ( +1 / -1 )

It is about time Japan make ;laws to punish anyone who disturb school are heavily punished. I mean lengthy jail sentence without bail.

This hate group went to elementary school. Can't they get older people to listen or agree with them? Not even Jr HS students?

They could be mentally disturbed but that is no excuse to let them free. They might grow to become like terrorist group.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Good!

However, a lawyer for the group said it will appeal the Osaka court’s ruling to the Supreme Court, arguing that its members were expressing a political opinion.

Political opinion my behind. I saw some of those videos and that was totally hateful speech. And against kids! They even looked like about to get violent.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

@Kaal Singh

This should be called "hate speech" against Japan in the first place.

http://www.japancrush.com/2013/pictures/effigies-of-abe-burned-during-anti-japan-demos-in-korea.html

Not threatening children?

There are so many violences caused by the students of Korean schools against Japanese students. So many Koreans are in Yakuza members.

You do not know what they did to Japanese after Japan's defeat. Although they had been at the side of Imperial Japan, they acted like as if they were the member of United Nations from the first, called themselves "Korean GHQ" and rampaged through cities as if they owned the place,

S. Korea forced Japan to free Korean criminals in prisons (including felons) in exchange of the detained about 4,000 Japanese fishermen who were taken when they captured Takeshima illegally, with 44 casualties. PM Yoshida at that time wanted to return them back to Korea, but S. Korean government refused it. Later, the fishermen came back to Japan were debilitated severely.

There are still so many Japanese who remember these incidents. Do you really think there is no reason Japanese have become wary of them?

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

You do not know what they did to Japanese after Japan's defeat.

Do Japanese get to hate and mistreat Korean people for decades and expect nothing in response? What kind of crazy thinking is that?

If this nutty right-wing group violates the court ruling, the full weight of the law should be brought down on them.

If Prime Minister Abe is going to court or support these hate-filled crazies in any way, I can certainly understand burning his effigy.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Kudos to Judge Mori for upholding the ruling banning anti-Korean hate speech. Mori-san is spot on in describing this Zaitokukai as a group "driven by racist ideals". Elements of this shameful Zaitokukai rabble are the same grubs who have repeatedly labelled Koreans - including little kids - as "cockroaches", and wished death upon them. Make no mistake: their ideology and racist hate is one and the same with the nazis.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

"a lawyer for the group said it will appeal the Osaka court's ruling to the Supreme Court, arguing that its members were expressing a political opinion." !!!??? "A POLITICAL OPINION" That is insane. The group can make a political statement against the politicians not against the children. They are so immature that their action makes me sick. People should love all the children in the world and in Japan no mater who they are and where they are from.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

@yabitsJUL. 10, 2014 - 12:05AM JST You do not know what they did to Japanese after Japan's defeat.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Japanese companies began employing them to extremely low paid laborers as Japanese men were dead of injured because of military invasions in Asia, etc. They contributed to Japan's reconstruction despite of terrible treatment Japan did against them. Still Japanese mistreated them. They cleaned up firebombed cities all over in Japan with very cheap pay.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

This is exactly how Nazi's racism and fascism got started. All Japanesse got to do more to nip these NEO NAZI groups from becoming mainstream.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

I would like to know if there are similar militant hate-groups in South Korea -- ones that actually wish death upon Japanese. If so, how does the ROK government deal with them..(My searches on "Korean hate group" return a plethora of anti-Korean Japanese entries.)

I am sure there are plenty and those folks are just as disgusting as these ones.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

However, a lawyer for the group said it will appeal the Osaka court’s ruling to the Supreme Court, arguing that its members were expressing a political opinion.

I think this is the most hopeful idea in the whole article! Please bring it to the Supreme Court, and by all gods willing, which will uphold the Osaka high court ruling and the decision will become effective nationwide! Lets hope that the Supreme Court in all their wisdom can see that expressing a political opinion, as these shameful members of society call it, does not give ANYONE the right to scare, threaten or harass others, especially innocent school children inside or outside their own schools. And lets not forget that Korean students have been physically attacked outside their schools with one 16-year-old boy from Tokyo Korean High School attacked with a wooden sword and a 12-year-old girl in her traditional Korean dress slashed.

As far as I know, you need government permission to gather and demonstrate in public places in Japan and if so local governments should be held accountable for the continuing problems by not refusing to grant officials from Zaitokukai, and similar groups who disrupt society, permission to demonstrate in public space. It would bring far greater consequences if the Supreme Court were to recognize there actions in regards to public demonstrations, right to assemble and not at all in the interests of public and outline what responsibilities local governments have in issuing permits which would give authorities greater flexibility in curbing such groups perceived rights to mod-rules mentality.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Virgo98 you give same reason to hate Korea as some Korean and Chinese give to hate Japan. Can't you see?

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Couple of observations:

Only when it comes to Japan is it OK to restrict freedom of speech. In other countries freedom of speech is lauded.

The anti Japan crowd will focus all of their attention on the actions and words of a small percentage of these type of Japanese folk, and apply it to the entire nation of Japan as a whole, as being an ignorant, hateful, xenophobic people. Never mind that other countries would do the same towards Japanese citizens (and, in fact have done so, with actual acts of violence).
-6 ( +1 / -7 )

I am sure there are plenty and those folks are just as disgusting as these ones.

I am not so sure. If there are some they might be as disgusting, but not nearly as numerous. But I have not been able to locate an example of anything resembling Zaotokukai.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

@vigro: There are so many violences caused by the students of Korean schools against Japanese students. So many Koreans are in Yakuza members.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' Do Japanese students attend Korean schools?

Which Yakuza organization? Traditional yakuzas or tekiyas? You mean tekiya organizations that accept job discriminated Koreans inrto their street vending business groups, just like disabled veterans whom Japanese govt threw jobless to prevent family suicides? Do you have names of kumi or ikka to show your claim??? Yakuzas and tekiyas do not recruit school children.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

yabitsJul. 10, 2014 - 12:05AM JST You do not know what they did to Japanese after Japan's defeat. Do Japanese get to hate and mistreat Korean people for decades and expect nothing in response? What kind of crazy thinking is that?

Are you saying;

Koreans hate Japanese with reason = Understandable, but, Japanese hate Koreans with reason = Racism ?

Does it mean Japanese have no right to hate others even when treated unfairly?

Japanese people are fed up with Korean lies trying to mislead the world as if the Korea under Japanese rule was something like a hell, sometimes using the word "atrocities". I'm not goint to say it was a perfetly fair society, but it was not so even in the mainland Japan at that time. But just tell me, in such a hellish society, why the number of schools for commoners increased from around 40 to over 1,000 in 1940 and the literacy rate drastically rose, from 10% in 1910 to 65% in 1936? Why was the higiene state improved so much and the life expectancy in Korea lengthened and the pupulation almost doubled? Why was the number of life birth not decreased even at the end of WWII, where 200,000 (!) Korean women were said to be abducted by a demonish Japanese Empire?

Fortunatelly, through fair studies written in English, their lies have revealed one after another recently.

Another side to Japanese-Korean history:

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2006/01/30/commentary/another-side-to-japanese-korean-history/#.U76IuLmKA5s

New Korea by Alleyne Ireland:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkmH9COCX64

"The Japanese Colonial Legacy in Korea, 1910-1945: A New Perspective" by Prof. George Akita and Prof. Brandon Palmer will be also published in October 2014.

http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=i%3Abooks%2Cp_27%3AGeorge%20Akita

Back to the topic, I am not supporting Zaitokukai's activities. The way they took to protest the Korean school for its use of the public park was totally wrong.

Korean/Chosun schools were estbleshed in order to give their children ethnic education. They are not the standard schools under Japanese educational system. Foreign schools should be supported by their home countries in principle. But Korean/Chosun schools have taken advantage of their position in Japan. Japanese local governments or even Japanese government let them use the priviliges for long, as they wanted to avoid to be called racists, trying not to reopen old wounds.

And now, they are demanding subsidies from Japanese government, same as the standard Japanese schools.

Where is their ethnic pride gone? Why do they want money from the country they hate? Especially for the education for their children? If they want to receive the same treatment, they could send the children to Japanese schools because they can do so. No prohibiting at all. Or, do they use the victim card again?

ProudJapaneseJul. 10, 2014 - 12:15PM JST Virgo98 you give same reason to hate Korea as some Korean and Chinese give to hate Japan. Can't you see?

You are perfetly right. Then why has Japan only been singled out to be blamed?

0 ( +2 / -2 )

The pro-Pyongyang Chongryon operates 218 Korean schools across Japan, including kindergartens and one university. All lessons, and all conversations within the school are conducted in Korean. They are not classified as regular schools under Japanese law as they do not follow the national curriculum, but rather as "miscellaneous schools" alongside driving schools. This has led to many discrepancies with regular Japanese schools which Chongryon calls discriminatory]

funding. The schools were originally set up and run with support from the North Korean government but this money has now dried up, and with dropping pupil numbers, many schools are facing financial difficulties. The Japanese government has refused Chongryon's requests that it fund ethnic schools in line with regular Japanese schools, citing Article 89 of the Japanese Constitution, where use of public funds for education by non-public bodies is prohibited. In reality the schools are in fact partly funded by local authorities, but subsidies are given in the form of special benefits paid to the families of pupils, as opposed to paying the schools directly, in order to avoid a blatant breach of Article 89. It is also much less than the amount received by state schools.

High School Equivalency Test, or daiken, which qualifies those who have not graduated from a regular high school to apply for a place in a state university and take an entrance exam. Until recently, only those who have completed compulsory education (i.e. up to junior high school) were entitled to take daiken; this meant pupils of ethnic schools had to do extra courses before being allowed to take the exam. In 1999 the requirement was amended so that anyone over a certain age is qualified. Campaigners were not satisfied because this still meant graduates of non-Japanese high schools had to take daiken. In 2003, the Education Ministry removed the requirement to take the Equivalency Test from graduates of Chinese schools, Mindan-run Korean schools and international schools affiliated with Western nations and accredited by U.S. and British organizations. However, this did not apply to graduates of pro-Pyongyang Korean schools, saying it could not approve their curricula. The decision was left up to individual universities, 70% of which allowed Korean school graduates to apply directly.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Koreans hate Japanese with reason = Understandable

I have not seen any evidence that Koreans hate Japanese in the same nature that I have witnessed Japanese hating Koreans. I said that if a person or people have undergone systematic mistreatment, it is understandable that they would react to it.

Japanese hate Koreans with reason = Racism

Someone mentioned the history of Japanese lynching Koreans after an earthquake in the early part of the 20th century. And then there were words that played off of "chon." -- very demeaning to Koreans.

Japanese people are fed up with Korean lies trying to mislead the world as if the Korea under Japanese rule was something like a hell, sometimes using the word "atrocities".

Perhaps they are not lying. Perhaps it is the Japanese who are lying to themselves.

Where is their ethnic pride gone? Why do they want money from the country they hate? Especially for the education for their children?

First of all, I don't believe the feeling of the vast majority of Koreans towards Japan is what you say it is. Secondly, if Korean people are working in Japan and paying taxes to support schools for Japanese, some of their money should be re-directed to schools of their choosing. Judging by the way Japanese try to teach history these days, I don't blame anyone for wanting exposure to a more-rounded, less-biased perspective. (Do Japanese receive history lessons about their occupation of Korea from a Korean perspective? Or are they not allowed to have one that differs from what the Japanese are trying to inculcate?)

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

the number of schools for commoners increased from around 40 to over 1,000 in 1940 and the literacy rate drastically rose, from 10% in 1910 to 65% in 1936? Why was the higiene state improved so much and the life expectancy in Korea lengthened and the pupulation almost doubled? Why was the number of life birth not decreased even at the end of WWII, where 200,000 (!) Korean women were said to be abducted by a demonish Japanese Empire?

You say these things as if they matter.

The fact is they don't. If they did, the Koreans wouldn't be angry. But if you are in the most comfortable jail ever, you are still in jail, and if you are oppressed by the best oppressor ever, you are still oppressed.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

In the stone age, Japan was connected to mainland Asia by at least one land bridge, and was peopled by nomads from the mainland . In late prehistory, in the Iron Age Yayoi period (300 BC to 300 CE), Japanese culture shows some Korean influence, though whether this was accompanied by immigration from Korea is debated . In the later Kofun period (250-538) and Asuka period (538-710) there was some flow of people from the Korean peninsula, both as immigrants and long-term visitors, notably a number of Clans in the Kofun period. While some families today can ultimately trace their ancestry to the immigrants, they were absorbed into Japanese society and are not considered a distinct group.

Trade with Korea continued to the modern day, with Japan also periodically receiving missions from Korea, though this was often limited to specific ports. In the Edo period (17th-mid 19th centuries) trade with Korea occurred through the Tsushima-Fuchu Domain in Kyushu, near Nagasaki.

Current Emperor stated that there was an Korean blooded Emperor in his ancestor once. Some of you remember? It made Japanese people's discussion, then, Just like when it was openly discussed that Japan had Female Emperors and female national policy makers since Amaterasu Omikam.i, Jingu Kougou, Kogyoku, Jito Tenno ........

Now you understand why Southern. Japanese people have similar face to Korean than to Northern Japanese. It is silly to discriminate Korean people in Japan. Both country people do not have blond hair, blue eyes, white face. Well Northen Japanese people were paler than Southern Japanese, though.

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Way before annexation, Japanese agents assassinated Korean Empress. Annexation? Japanese current Government differ but before Japan was defeated by USA, Japan even used Emperor related Princess to marry Korean Prince to pretend that is sign of Japan Korea friendship. Poor Princess was in Japan for several years after war but she returned to Korea to her husband and worked for crippled children rehabilitation movement and never returned to Japan. Her name is Prince Masako Lee of Nashimoto-no-miya. She was not only one. There was a noble lady who was forced to marry Manchuria puppet Prince. Eisei Aishinkakura. Chu En rai of Chinese top invited her back to China and apologized not to be in time. Her daughter did double suicide because her lover's family refused their relationship. She never returned to Japan either. We figured foreign men marry with love. Do you think Japan peacefully stole Korea? Goro Miura, Takeki Terauchi, before them, Hirobumi Ito etc. Even we said in school Japan stole Korea, we were not punished. Japanese Government did not hide what it is doing, then.

I see their children are targetted by these brainless adults.

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I believe Zainichi Korean pay the same tax rate as non-Zainichi Koreans. Zei-mu-sho will never lose a chance to levy anyone. So, indirectly paying to their schools mean Japan is not cheating Zainichi Koreans. Schools are important.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

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