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What to do in Japan?

What do you think of people born in Japan, parents too, never been to Korea, having a Korean passport?

  • There are thousands of zainichi kankokujin in Japan, all with various situations. A lot are the descendants of Koreans brought over to Japan during the time that Korea was controlled by Japan. A lot of these people have never actually been to South or North Korea. They were born in Japan, their first language is Japanese, their parents were born in Japan, and the same, but perhaps their grandparents were born in South Korea, but even they have lived the majority of their lives in Japan, speak Japanese, etc. Don't you think it's kind of crazy that these people hold Korean passports? It seems nuts from both sides. Why would the Korean government issue a passport to someone not born in Korea, and whose parents weren't even born there? Why would Japan refuse to give a passport to someone born in Japan, parents born in Japan, taxpayer, etc.? How can this sort of stubborness be so acceptable?

  • Answer:

    Wow...tough topic. Both Korea and Japan are fiercely nationalistic. Remember, Japan tried to take over Asia due to this and many still feel the "shame" of their defeat. Korea's nationalism was forged by centuries of foreign invasion/occupation by Japan, China, Russia and USA. Although globalization forces nationalism to be contained, it still manifests itself in many ways. Japan and Korea continue to squabble over issues emanating from WWII. Korea wants Japan to apologize, Comfort Women, Yakuzuni Shrine, etc etc. Now, Korea has undergone many forced diasporas. One is the thousands of children it sends overseas for adoption each year. Since the Korean war, over 250,000 have been adopted to North america and Europe (that's an entire half-percent of the total population, btw) Influenced by sense of shame and confucian ideas valuing social/cultural homogeny, they offer certain allowances that try to rectify this. These set new precedents and are indeed above and beyond what other governments do (as you cite). Korea issues automatic "green cards" (F4 visas) to adoptees and people of Korean descent. It seems with your example, they have a special rule to accommodate Koreans in Japan due to the colonial rule. In summary, Korea does regard its emigrated citizens in a special way. Take it as good or bad. But thats the way it is.

Lloyd at Yahoo! Answers Visit the source

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What you write about within the 2nd paragraph is true; a lot of Korean people were removed from their country forcibly and taken to Japan during the Colonial Period - 1910 - 1945. Their reasons are their own for these people who remained behind in Japan and should be respected. It is not appropriate to use the label “stubbornness” merely because one may, or may not accept, the reasons of the Korean people remaining in Japan. As for your 3rd paragraph, it is also inappropriate to use the word “crazy” when referring to these people having Korean Passports. The Japanese Government is very “Nationalistic” against people living within their country who are not citizens; that “Nationalistic” meaning includes Koreans forcibly brought to Japan which also includes any/all descendants of Koreans. Hence, no “Japanese-born roots” thereby labels you as a foreigner. Additionally, not being Japanese “by birth or by roots” also includes the Korean people being fingerprinted and continually treated like a 2nd-class citizen; doesn’t matter whether they have a criminal record or not. The Korean Government is correct issuing South Korean Passports to these people and their descendants. Even though the Koreans living in Japan may not live within South Korea, they are deserving of some acceptance and recognition from their country of original origin. They will never be fully accepted, nor fully recognized, by Japanese society.

Living In Korea

Because a lot of their grandparents/great grandparents were forced to go to Japan to work in forced labor camps and industries. Also, for example during the Jeju rebellion and subsequent April 4 massacre, tens of thousands of residents fled to Japan to escape. These people are granted Korean citizenship because Korea sees them as valuable assets and wants to enable them to hang onto their cultural heritage.

starygrl

Choi Kiho, born in 1923, was the guest professor of the Kaya University and ex-professor of the Dongguk University. This Korean says he was transferred to Japan, however, he says he was not forced. He told this fact to other Korean people when he lived in Korea, but he says nobody listened to him. He could speak Japanese so he published several books in Japan. However, finding his name on Yahoo! Korea is very difficult.

Joriental

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