Korean Nationals in Japan

[komitsuki]

Originally Posted by Wasabista

Follow-up question: Why does the government lavish the Korean community with the subsidies you described? Is it related to war reparations treaties?

It's more about the post-WW2 hassles when the Japanese government encouraged a lot of Korean families to move to Japan for the booming industries around the 1930s and 1940s.

They couldn't alienate them completely after the end of the world war. So they only do a lip service by funding Mindan and the Souren groups.

And if they're male South Korean citizens, aren't they up for compulsory military service?

a male with a South Korean citizenship =/= must go to military

It's more than that. Where in the world did you get this idea?

There are two de facto requirements for South Koreans to do their forced military service:

1) you must need a South Korean citizenship.
2) you must born in South Korea.

[komitsuki]

Originally Posted by Nyororin

I don`t know for certain, but I imagine it`s similar to others with PR. You register your baby when it is born with the proper authorities - and a visa is granted.

It works like this: there are two groups representing the Koreans living in Japan: Mindan and Souren.

Mindan* represents South Korea and Souren** represents North Korea. And that was before 1965, the official date of restoring Korea-Japan diplomatic relation. Both of them give passports and citizenships to their associated Koreans living in Japan. And it's illegal for a Mindan Korean to marry a Souren Korean, and vice versa.

On the top of that, there's the other newborn South Korean-based organization for long-term South Korean residents in Japan. Now this group is to address the needs that Mindan couldn't do because there is a growing number of post-1965 South Koreans who still affiliate with South Korea directly. It's called Rengoukai***.

*official name in English: Korean Citizen Group of Japan (Zainihon Daikanminkoku Mindan)
**official name in English: General Association of Korean Residents of Japan (Zainihon Chousenjin Sourengoukai)
***official name in English: Association of Korean Residents of Japan (Zainichi Kankokujin Rengoukai)

CF: Not to mention there is a steady increase of Koreans with Chinese citizenships and passports in Japan because Chinese companies sometimes prefer Koreans to work at their Japanese branch offices for the sake of cultural similarities.

Korean-related Japanese politics is interesting, I could say.

[komitsuki]

Originally Posted by Nyororin

There is movement in the Japanese-Korean community to try and get the Japanese government to make an exception for them, and let them keep their both citizenships.

In Mindan's particular situation, it could be a reality. Consider how Mindan criticizes Souren, this South Korean-based group also represents Japan indirectly.

So in other way or another, Mindan technically supports Japan's current interests as well as South Korea.

As for Souren, forget about them because they have a no-participation-in-Japanese-politics policy..