"Japanese Right-Wing Figure's Controversial Remark: 'Joseon Schools Are Spy Training Centers'"

"Joseon School Alumni Involved in Japanese Abduction"
Apology Posted Briefly Then Taken Down at Midnight on the Same Day

A radio program in Japan recently sparked controversy locally after a guest referred to Korean schools attended by Zainichi Koreans as "spy training centers."

According to the Asahi Shimbun on the 17th, the Korean Residents Union in Japan Human Rights Association (Tokyo) sent a letter of inquiry to MBS on the 3rd of this month protesting remarks made on the MBS radio program "Kamiizumi Yuichi's Eena!" on the 21st of last month, where Korean schools were described as "places that train spies."

Japanese right-wing forces hold an anti-Korean demonstration in downtown Tokyo. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article.
Photo by Yonhap News

MBS is a broadcaster based in the Osaka area. According to the association and MBS, during last month's broadcast, Tsukasa Jonen (54), a conservative right-wing economic commentator who appeared as a guest, claimed in relation to North Korea's missile launch tests that "(Among Korean schools) there are places that train spies." He also stated that "graduates of Korean schools were involved in North Korea's abduction of Japanese citizens."

The association argued in the inquiry letter that "Jonen's remarks are absolutely unacceptable as they threaten the human rights of students attending Korean schools and Zainichi Koreans, and incite threats."

MBS apologized through another guest on the broadcast on the 10th, acknowledging that "there were expressions that could cause misunderstandings," and posted an apology on their website. However, the apology was only briefly displayed and was removed at midnight the same day, while on platforms like YouTube, the problematic remarks have been edited out but Jonen's statements continue to be aired.

Moon Si-hong, Secretary General of the Korean Residents Union in Japan Osaka Human Rights Association, told the Asahi Shimbun, "MBS Radio's response, such as continuing to broadcast by selectively cutting out parts of the problematic remarks, is insincere and insufficient," adding, "We will continue to demand a sincere response."

In 2010, Japan introduced a policy to make all high school education free of charge. This included local high schools as well as foreign schools, but Korean schools affiliated with the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon) were excluded. The reason for exclusion was the possibility that the free subsidies given to Korean schools could be misused by Chongryon, which has a pro-North Korea stance.

In response to this measure, five Korean schools in Tokyo, Osaka, Hiroshima, Nagoya, and Kyushu filed lawsuits against the government. They argued that excluding Korean schools from the free education policy was a politically motivated action and clear discrimination against the Zainichi Korean community.

Meanwhile, on the 17th, the second day of his visit to Japan, President Yoon Suk-yeol met with key figures in Japanese politics.

President Yoon met with representatives of organizations supporting exchanges and friendship between the two countries, including the Japan-Korea Parliamentarians' Union, the Japan-Korea Friendship Association Central Committee, and the Japan-Korea Cooperation Committee, at a hotel in central Tokyo that morning.

The meeting was attended by former Prime Minister Taro Aso, Deputy President of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan, and former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who is set to become president of the Japan-Korea Parliamentarians' Union.

The presidential office reported that President Yoon said, "The fact that the two countries held a summit itself is a significant advancement in the normalization and development of bilateral relations."

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