Increase in Anti-Korean Protests by Japanese Right-Wing Groups... Ministry of Foreign Affairs Notices 'Zero'

Independent Assemblyman Kim Hong-gul: "We Must Be Cautious Given the Strained Korea-Japan Relations"
Surge in Right-Wing Group Protests at Hiroshima Consulate General with 'Recapture Dokdo' Slogan

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jin-young] Amid the increase in anti-Korean protests by Japanese right-wing groups, it has been found that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not issued any safety notices to overseas Koreans.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to data exclusively obtained by Asia Economy on the 6th from the office of independent lawmaker Kim Hong-gul, a member of the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, protests by Japanese right-wing groups in front of Korean diplomatic missions in Japan increased significantly from 14 cases in 2017 to 27 in 2018, 42 in 2019, and 31 as of August 2020.

By mission, the Consulate General in Hiroshima recorded the highest number with 34 cases, followed by the Consulate General in Yokohama with 29 cases, and the Consulate General in Fukuoka with 21 cases. In particular, protests at the Hiroshima Consulate General surged from zero before 2018 to 21 cases after the establishment of the far-right group Nihongoku Shinkai, affiliated with the Mizuho Sekishi Alliance. These groups have continued protests with slogans such as "Recapture Dokdo."

However, there were no safety notices issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs targeting overseas Koreans, including expatriates. The Ministry responded that if there are street protests by Japanese right-wing groups in front of Korean missions, they notify through their website and social media such as Facebook, but upon verification, no safety notices were actually issued. Additionally, the Ministry stated that they communicate and notify representatives of organizations such as Mindan, Korean associations, and student associations via messengers like LINE, but it was revealed that such notifications were practically nonexistent.

Korean students studying in Japan unanimously stated that they have never received any notifications. They expressed particular concern about protests in busy areas such as Ikebukuro in Tokyo, where there is a Chinatown and frequent anti-Korean and anti-Chinese protests, even though protests in front of diplomatic missions are relatively safe due to police presence. A 26-year-old Korean student at a university in Tokyo, who requested anonymity, told Asia Economy in a phone interview, "I have never received any notifications during my stay in Japan. Even street protests occurring in places frequently visited by Korean residents, such as Ikebukuro and university fronts, have never been notified." Kim, a 24-year-old studying at a university in Fukuoka, also said, "I have never received any notification even once."

Lawmaker Kim emphasized, "Although protests by Japanese right-wing groups are in the form of simple street demonstrations, caution is necessary given the tense Korea-Japan relations, such as the mailbox vandalism incident at the Japanese Embassy last September. Especially in the case of the Hiroshima Consulate General, where the number of protests has increased remarkably, the system should be improved so that guidance and warnings can be delivered to all overseas Koreans within the jurisdiction."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.