Background

Chosen schools are Korean schools located in Japan where Korean children receive their ethnic education. Chosen schools in Japan have been subjected to various discriminations. 

Koreans in Japan have their roots in Japanese colonial rule of Chosen. Koreans who were forced to leave colonial Chosen and migrate to Japan for forced labour or employment for various reasons were liberated, but could not return to Korea. And, it was not easy to give up their place of life to return to their native hometown. In addition, Japan limited the assets that could be brought back home. As their return to Korea was taking time, and the country was eventually split into North and South, Chosen were in a condition of transition. They were not directly affected by the Korean division, but they experienced the colonial era.

Many of them had the nationality of “ChosenJok” (Korean Domicile) before the country division. In 1947, Japan administered Korean residents with foreign status with the Alien Registration Ordinance. Chosen is a characteristic given by Japan and it is treated as a nationality, but it is not a word for nationality. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan in 1965, the number of people who acquire Korean citizenship has increased, and some have acquired Japanese citizenship too.

In 2010, the Japanese government implemented a free high school policy, excluding Chosen schools. Korean Japanese live and pay taxes in Japan but are thoroughly treated as strangers. Koreans in Japan face the harsh words and actions of the citizens' association against Koreans living in Japan on a daily basis. Far-right Japanese flock to the front of the school, shouting "cockroaches" to Koreans, telling them to return to the Korean peninsula and that Japan hates them so much.

After the liberation and the war, the Koreans who remained in Japan had to suffer from various social discriminations that had continued since the Japanese colonial period.

Objective

  • Support Chosen schools taking in consideration peace, union and human rights 
  • Inform the Korean society of the existence of these Korean schools in Japan

Activities :

  • Participate in ongoing sponsorship and crowdfunding.
  • Join meetings through Zoom.
  • Visiting staff 
  • Watch a documentary film about Chosen School with the whole province

People being served

People being served : Children and Young People

Age group : Children 0-17

Number of participants : 251-500

Schedule

Project status : Ongoing

Staring date : 01/10/2017

Collaborations

  • Collaboration type : Financial

    Collaboration with : Private organisations

    • The province of KOC provides funding to the Korean NGO Mongdang Pencil

Images

Overview

Society presence : Korea/Chinese

Focus of the project : People

JPIC Imperative : Transforming and Being Transformed, Washing One Another’s Feet

UN Sustainable Development Goals : 10 Reduced Inequalities, 4 Quality Education