Civil Groups Urge Japan to End Unjust Detention of Activists at Immigration

Lee Gukun, chairman of the Citizens' Association for Forced Mobilization under Japanese Rule, was detained in the investigation room at Narita Airport, Japan, on the afternoon of the 7th. Provided by the Citizens' Association for Forced Mobilization under Japanese Rule

On August 13, the Korea-Japan Historical Justice and Peace Action, the Institute for Research in Collaborationist Activities, and the Citizens' Association for Forced Mobilization under Japanese Rule issued a statement urging, "The Japanese authorities must apologize for the unjust detention measures taken against South Korean civil society activists."

They stated, "During the Japanese immigration screening process, we were subjected to an unjust investigation for about two hours without any particular reason. Even if we concede that there may have been suspicions about the possession of dangerous items, illegal weapons, or drugs, which would be understandable from an anti-terrorism perspective, this matter cannot be taken lightly, given that none of us have any record of violating Japanese law in the past."

Lee Gukun, chairman of the Citizens' Association, entered Japan via Narita International Airport on the afternoon of the 7th, where he was detained and questioned for 1 hour and 40 minutes about his purpose of visit, destination, and accommodation.

The association argued, "This constitutes a diplomatic discourtesy against citizens of a country with which Japan maintains formal diplomatic relations," and claimed, "The repeated harassment we face upon every visit to Japan is due to the existence of a blacklist."

They further stated, "Creating and operating a blacklist targeting ordinary citizens of a neighboring country-who are not recognized members of any terrorist organization by the international community-is an unreasonable treatment of the other country and inevitably exacerbates public sentiment. The South Korean government must investigate the unfair treatment experienced by its citizens and, from the standpoint of reciprocity, devise countermeasures against Japan's unjust actions."

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