The General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chae Ilbon Chosŏnin Ch'ongryŏnhaphoe in Korean or Zai-Nihon Chōsenjin Sōrengōkai in Japanese), abbreviated to Chongryon (Korean: 총련, Hanja: 總聯) or Chōsen Sōren (Japanese: 朝鮮総連), is one of two main organisations for Zainichi (or Jaeil) Koreans (long term Korean residents in Japan), and has close ties to North Korea (DPRK). As there are no diplomatic relations between the two countries, it has been North Korea's de facto embassy in Japan. Jamo redirects here. ... Hanja is the Korean name for Chinese characters. ... McCune-Reischauer romanization is one of the two most widely used Korean language romanization systems, along with the Revised Romanization of Korean, which replaced (a modified) McCune-Reischauer as the official romanization system in South Korea in 2000. ... The Revised Romanization of Korean is the official Korean language romanization system in South Korea. ... Japanese writing Kanji Kana Hiragana Katakana Hentaigana Manyōgana Uses Furigana Okurigana Rōmaji The Hepburn romanization system ) is named after James Curtis Hepburn, who used it to transcribe the sounds of the Japanese language into the Latin alphabet in the third edition of his Japanese–English dictionary, published... Japanese writing Kanji Kana Hiragana Katakana Hentaigana Manyōgana Uses Furigana Okurigana Rōmaji   ) are the Chinese characters that are used in the modern Japanese logographic writing system along with hiragana (平仮名), katakana (片仮名), and the Arabic numerals. ... Hanja is the Korean name for Chinese characters. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Chongryon members primarily consist of those who have retained their nationality registration of Joseon, as opposed to those who have chosen to take up either Japanese or South Korean nationality. Joseon or Chosun (Korean: 조선; Hanja: 朝鮮; Revised: Joseon; McCune-Reischauer: Chosŏn; Chinese: Cháoxiǎn; Japanese: Chōsen) is a name for Korea, as used in the following cases: As part of the name of several ancient kingdoms (including Gojoseon, Gija Joseon, and Wiman Joseon); During most of the Joseon...

The other main organization is called Mindan, the Korean Residents Union In Japan, and consists of Zainichi Koreans who have adopted South Korean nationality. Currently, among 610,000 Korean residents in Japan who have not adopted Japanese nationality, 25 percent are members of Chongryon, and 65 percent are members of Mindan. Chongryon's strong links to North Korea, its allegiance to the North Korean ideology and its opposition to integration of Koreans into Japanese society have made it the more controversial of the two organisations in Japan. Mindan, or the Korean Residents Union in Japan(Korean: 재일본대한민국민단, Hanja: 在日本大韓民國民團), is the name of an organization for South Koreans living in Japan, which has ties to South Korea. ... Motto None (Unofficial: Broadly benefit humankind also translated as Devotion to the welfare of humanity) Anthem Aegukga (Patriotic Hymn) Capital (and largest city) Seoul Official languages Korean Government Presidential republic  -  President Roh Moo-hyun  -  Prime Minister Han Duck-soo Establishment  -  Gojoseon October 3, 2333 BCb   -  Liberation declared March 1, 1919...

Chongryon's headquarters are in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, and there are prefectural and regional head offices and branches throughout Japan. National Diet Building, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Yasukuni Shrine, Kudan Kita 3-1-1, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Otemon, the Great Gate of Edo Castle (Kokyo) Chiyoda (千代田区; -ku) is a special ward in central Tokyo, Japan. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

There are numerous organisations affiliated with Chongryon, including eighteen mass propaganda bodies and twenty-three business enterprises. One of the most important business sectors is pachinko. It also operates about 60 Korean schools and a Korean university, as well as banks and other facilities in Japan. Classic pachinko machine Pachinko parlor at night Entrance to pachinko parlor in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. ...

Its current Chairman, Seo Man-sul, and five other senior Chongryon officials are also members of the Supreme People's Assembly (North Korea's parliament). So Man-sul is the current chairman of of the Central Standing Committee of the pro-Pyongyang General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon). ... The Supreme Peoples Assembly is the parliament of the North Korea (DPRK). ...

Background and history

Main article: Zainichi Koreans

Long term ethnic Korean residents in Japan primarily consist of those, and descendants of, ethnic Koreans who settled in Japan as: Zainichi (在日) is short for Zainichi Chōsenjin (Koreans/Choson people in Japan, 在日朝鮮人, 재일조선인) or Zainichi Kankokujin (South Koreans in Japan, 在日韓国人, 재일한국인), meaning the Korean residents of Japan. ...

• Migrants during Japan's rule over Korea (1910–1945)
• Conscripted labourers during the Second World War
• Post-WW2 refugees, especially from Jeju island escaping the 1948 Jeju massacre.

A 1953 government survey revealed that 93% were from the southern half of the Korean peninsula. The Jeju massacre or the Cheju April 3rd massacre happened as a result of suppression against armed rebellion in Jeju island, South Korea, during the period of April 3, 1948 to September 21, 1954. ...

Until 1945, ethnic Koreans were Japanese nationals. The end of the Second World War left the nationality status of Koreans in an ambiguous position, as no functional nation existed on the Korean Peninsula. Their nationality was provisionally registered under the name of Joseon (Chōsen in Japanese, 朝鮮, 조선), the old name of undivided Korea. This article examines the varying names of Korean states (modern and historical) as well as the Korean people and geographical region. ...

The 1948 declaration of independence by both South and North Korea made Joseon a defunct nation. Those with Joseon nationality were allowed to re-register their nationality to a South Korean one; however the same did not apply to North Korea due to the fact that Japan only recognises South Korea as the legitimate government of Korea, so supporters of the North retained their Joseon nationality.

Ethnic Koreans in Japan established the Association of Koreans in Japan in 1945, which followed a socialist ideology, and was banned in 1949 by the order of Allied occupation army. The United Democratic Front of Korea in Japan was established in 1951, which was banned due to suspected involvement in the 1952 May Day riots. Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers (SCAP) was the title for Douglas MacArthur during the Occupation of Japan following WWII. The title did belong to Dwight David Eisenhower during WWII, however, he had nothing to do with the attacks on Japan. ...

In 1952, the North Korean leader Kim Il-Sung called on the socialist zainichi Korean movement to be co-ordinated in close contact with the North Korean government, and to fight, not for a socialist revolution in Japan, but for the socialist reunification of the Korean peninsula.

Chongryon was established on May 25, 1955 by Han Deok Su, who was an activist for leftist labor movements in Japan. (The pro-South Mindan had already branched off from the main organisation in 1946). May 25 is the 145th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (146th in leap years). ... Han Deok-su (1907-2001) founded the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon) in 1955. ...

In the late 1950s, Chongryon conducted a campaign to persuade Zainichi Koreans to migrate to North Korea, which it hailed as a socialist "Paradise on Earth". The campaign was vehemently opposed by Mindan which organised hunger strikes and train obstructions. Some 87,000 Zainichi Koreans and about 6000 Japanese spouses moved to the North, oblivious to the harsh conditions which awaited them. According to a defector, himself a former returnee, many petitioned to be returned to Japan and in response were sent to prison camps. A Japanese research puts the number of zainichi Korean returnees condemned to prison camps at around 10,000.[1][2] (In 1990 Su-to Ha, former vice chief of organization for Chongryon who was expelled in 1972 for demanding democratic reforms, led a rally in Tokyo of 500 to protest against North Korea's human rights violations, in which protesters accused North Korea of holding the ex-Zainichi returnees captive in order to siphon money off remittances from their relatives in Japan).

Ideology

On their website, Chongryon claims that all their activities are based around the concept of Juche, the official state ideology of North Korea. Manse Manse! Kim Jong Il! The Juche Idea (also Juche Sasang or Chuche; pronounced // in Korean, approximately joo-cheh) is the official state ideology of North Korea and the political system based on it. ...

Chongryon say they are committed to a peaceful reunification of the Korean peninsula under North Korean Juche, and does not recognise the Republic of Korea (South Korea). It refers to as Minami chosen (Namjosŏn - "Southern Joseon") as opposed to kankoku (hanguk). (See Names of Korea). This article examines the varying names of Korean states (modern and historical) as well as the Korean people and geographical region. ...

Chongryon opposes the use of the Japanese word kita-chosen ("North Korea") as an abbreviation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. It refers to the country as "kyowakoku" ("The Republic") or "sokoku" ("The Fatherland"). In 1972 Chongryon campaigned to get the Japanese media to stop referring to North Korea as kita-chosen. This was not accepted, but as a compromise most media companies agreed to refer to the DPRK with its full official title at least once in every article. This policy was recently abandoned by most newspapers and TV stations, on the basis that other nations with naming issues such as South Korea (ROK) and Taiwan (ROC) aren't necessarily referred to by their official names.

Chongryon claims to be a representative body of overseas North Korean citizens living in Japan, and reject the notion that they are a mere ethnic minority.

Out of the two main Korean organisations in Japan, Chongryon has been the more militant in terms of retaining their ethnic identity. It is generally opposed to integration into Japanese society; for example it discourages its members from naturalising as Japanese citizens, or marrying Japanese (which it calls "international marriage"). It even goes as far as rejecting zainichi Korean's right to vote or participate in Japanese regional elections, which they saw as an unacceptable attempt at assimilation into Japanese society. [3] This is in contrast to Mindan, who are campaigning for wider zainichi Korean participation in Japanese politics.

Activities

Chongryon runs various support and advisory services for members, such as legal and marriage advice and employment help. It is also responsible for issuing North Korean passports.

Chongryon-affiliated organisations operate businesses and banks to provide the necessary jobs, services and social networks for Zainichi Koreans outside of mainstream society. Chongryon supporters are thought to control as much as one third of the pachinko industry in Japan. An important function of these enterprises is earning hard currency to be remitted to Pyongyang. These remittances have been estimated at between $600 million and $1.9 billion each year, but are probably much lower. [4] Classic pachinko machine Pachinko parlor at night Entrance to pachinko parlor in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. ...

Chongryon publishes a newspaper ("Chosen shinpo") as well as various magazines and other publications. Websites run by Chongryon-affiliated organisations include the English language People's Korea. Chongryon also runs various cultural activities and sports teams representing its members.

The group organises trips by members to North Korea, usually to visit relatives, as well as educational visits for students of Korean schools. They operate Mangyongbong-92, a passenger and cargo ferry which links Niigata in Japan to Wonsan in North Korea which serves as the only direct link between the two countries, and a subject of much controversy (see below). The ferry is currently temporarily barred from entering the Japanese port in response to North Korea's July 2006 missile tests. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Wonsan is a port city and naval base in southeastern North Korea. ...

The congress, the highest legislative organ of Chongryon, is every three years since 1961 to discuss agenda, election of key leaders and budget.

Korean schools

Chongryon operates about 60 ethnic Korean schools (chosen gakko 朝鮮学校 or chosǒn hakkyo 조선학교) across Japan, including kindergartens and one university, initially partly funded by the North Korean government. All lessons, and all conversations within the school are conducted in Korean. They teach a strong pro-North Korean ideology and allegiance to Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il. They are not classified as regular schools under Japanese law as they do not follow the national curriculum. Kim Il-sung (15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was the leader of North Korea from its founding in 1948 until his death, when he was succeeded by his son Kim Jong-il. ... Kim Jong-il (also written as Kim Jong Il) (born February 16, 1942) is the leader of North Korea. ...

Their militant stance is increasingly coming under criticism from pupils, parents and the public alike. The number of pupils receiving ethnic education from Chongryon-affiliated schools have declined sharply in recent years, down to about 15,000 in 2004 from a high of 46,000 in the early 1970s, with many, if not most, Zainichi now opting to send their children to mainstream Japanese schools.

The schools were initially funded by North Korea, but this money has now dried up. Today funding comes partially from local Japanese authorities, but many schools are facing financial difficulties. The Japanese government has refused Chongryon's requests that it funds ethnic schools, citing Article 89 of the Japanese Constitution, where use of public funds for education by non-public bodies is prohibited. Chongryon calls this an act of racial discrimination. Funding from local authorities takes place in the form of special benefits paid to the families of pupils, as opposed to paying the schools directly, in order to avoid a blatant breach of Article 89. The present Constitution of Japan took effect on May 3, 1947, during the American occupation after the surrender of Japan at the end of World War II. The Constitution of the Empire of Japan (1889–1947) The first constitution in Japan was enacted by the Emperor during the Meiji...

Some Chongryon schools have been closed because of lack of funding or pupil numbers, and there is serious doubt as to the continuing viability of the system as a whole.

(Mindan has also traditionally operated a school system for the children of its members, although it has been always been less widespread and organized compared to its Chongryon counterpart, and is said to be nearly defunct at the present time.)

Another issue is an examination called the High School Equivanency Test, or daiken, which qualifies those who have not graduated from a regular high school to apply for a place in a state university and take an entrance exam. Until recently, only those who have completed compulsory education (i.e. up to junior high school) were entitled to take daiken; this meant pupils of ethnic schools had to do extra courses before being allowed to take the exam. In 1999 the requirement was amended so that anyone over a certain age are qualified. Campaigners were not satisfied because this still meant graduates of non-Japanese high schools had to take daiken. In 2003, the Education Ministry removed the requirement to take the Equivalency Test from graduates of Chinese schools, Mindan-run Korean schools and international schools affiliated with Western nations and accredited by U.S. and British organisations. However this did not apply to graduates of Chongryon schools, saying it could not approve their curricula. The decision was left up to individual universities, 70% of which allowed Chongryon school graduates to apply directly.Ed-Info Japan News from September, to December, 2003

Decline in membership

Until well into at least the 1970s, Chongryon was the dominant Zainichi group, and in some ways remains more politically significant today in Japan. However, the widening disparity between the political and economic conditions of the two Koreas has since made Mindan, the pro-South Korean group, the larger and certainly the less politically controversial faction. Mindan, or the Korean Residents Union in Japan(Korean: 재일본대한민국민단, Hanja: 在日本大韓民國民團), is the name of an organization for South Koreans living in Japan, which has ties to South Korea. ...

In general, Chongryon is a declining organization primarily maintained by older Zainichi Chosenjin who appreciate the contributions the organization and the North Korean government has made to their lives, regardless of present political conditions. In comparison, third- and fourth-generation Zainichi Chosenjin have largely given up active participation or loyalty to the Chongryon ideology. Reasons stated for this increased disassociation include widespread mainstream tolerance of Koreans by Japanese in recent years, greatly reducing the need to rely on Chongryon, and the increasing unpopularity of Kim Jong Il even among loyal members of Chongryon. Many Zainichi Chosenjin also felt deeply betrayed by the North Korean government's recent admission that it had kidnapped 13 Japanese citizens over the years, because Chongryon had been categorically and fiercely denying for many years that the abductions had ever taken place. Whether the officials of Chongryon had known of the kidnappings or not, ordinary members of Chongryon who had believed the party line felt deeply humiliated and disillusioned upon discovering that they had been used as mouthpieces to deny what was seen in Japan as serious wrongdoing by North Korea.

Controversies over Chongryon

For a long time, Chongryon enjoyed unofficial immunity from searches and investigations, partly out of respect for its role as North Korea's de facto embassy, and partly due to its power as a political pressure group. However, escalating tensions between and Japan and North Korea over a number of issues, namely its nuclear weapons programme and its abduction of Japanese nationals has led to a resurgence of public animosity against Chongryon due to its active support of the Pyongyang regime. Acts which Chongryon officials are suspected of include illicit transfer of funds to North Korea, espionage, and smuggling of missile parts. North Korea claims to possess nuclear weapons, and the CIA asserts that is has a substantial arsenal of chemical weapons (deliverable by artillery). ... In May 2004, North Korea allowed the five children of two abducted couples to leave North Korea and join their families, who had come back to Japan for a year and a half. ...

Since allegations of Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programme first surfaced in the early 1990s, Chongryon has frequently reported being targeted by hate mail, malicious phone calls, and numerous incidents. Chongryon facilities have also frequently been sites of protests by Japanese right-wing groups.

• There has been numerous incidents of students of Chongryon schools, identifiable by their uniforms based on traditional Korean costumes, suffering verbal abuse. Furthermore, around May and June 1994 there was a series of physical assaults on Chongryon students in which their uniforms were cut; this was reported heavily in the Japanese media and trigged a Ministry of Justice investigation.

• In 1998, a petrol bomb was thrown at Chongryon's headquarters in Tokyo, causing minor damage,

• In June 2003, a shot was fired into a Chongryon warehouse in Niigata, hitting cargo waiting to be loaded onto Mangyongbong-92.

• In October 2006 in the aftermath of North Korea's first nuclear test, a suspected arson attack damaged a bamboo grove inside Chongryon's school in Mito. A 15 year old female student was pelted with eggs at the school the same day.

The Japanese authorities have recently started to crack down on Chongryon activities, moves usually criticised by Chongryon as acts of political suppression. FM Spokesman Urges Japan to Stop Suppression of Chongryon. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Mito (水戸市; -shi) is the capital of Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan and has a central location, moderately offset towards the coast in that prefecture. ...

• The first raid on Chongryon facilities was in 1994, when a rally held in Osaka by Rescue the North Korean People! (RENK), a Japanese citizens group set up to help refugees and demand democracy and human rights in North Korea, was attacked and broken up by a 100-strong mob. Police investigations revealed that the disruption was orchestrated by Chongryon. (in Japanese)

• In November 2001, police raided the Tokyo headquarters of Chongryon and its Tokyo regional office as part of an investigation into alleged embezzlement by one of it senior officials. This followed an arrest of Kang Young Kwan, 66, a member of Chongryon's central standing committee and a former head of its financial bureau, among other Chongryon officials, who admitted diverting $6.5 million on behalf of Chongryon from the Tokyo Chogin, a credit union set up to serve pro-North Korean residents which failed in 1999. About 400 Chongroyn supporters scuffled with police after they gathered in protest at what they called an act of political suppression and racial discrimination. [5][6]

• In 2002, Shotaro Tochigi, deputy head of the Public Security Investigation Agency told a session of the House of Representatives Financial Affairs Committee that the agency is investigating Chongryon for suspected illicit transfers of funds to the North. [7]

• In 2003, a North Korean defector made a statement to the US Senate committee stating that more than 90% of the parts used by North Korea to construct its missiles were brought from Japan aboard Mangyongbong-92, a Chongryon-operated ship which is the only regular direct link between North Korea and Japan. [8] The operation of the ship (barred from Japan for six months as of July 2006) is a subject of significant tension. The ferry is primarily used by Chongryon to send its members to North Korea and to supply North Korea with money and goods donated by the organization and its members.

• In 2003, The Associated Press reported that Japanese authorities are preparing to charge a 72-year old former senior member of Chongryon who was engaged in espionage activities for using false identity. It was claimed that espionage instructions were relayed to him by the captain of Mangyongbong-92. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi told reporters "We must watch (the vessel) closely lest it be used for crime." [9]

• In July 2003, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government reversed a decision made in 1972 by the Marxist Governor Ryokichi Minobe to exempt Chongryon from property tax. Chongryon refused to pay, resulting in seizure of three Chongryon properties. [10]

• In March 2006, following a ruling by Fukuoka High Court, the Internal Affairs Ministry instructed prefectural governmemts across Japan to review any property tax exemptions on Chongryon properties. Some local authorities resisted the move.

• In March 2006, police raided six Chongryon-related facilities in an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the June 1980 disappearance of one of the alleged abductees, Tadaaki Hara. Police spokesman said that the head of Chongryon at the time is suspected of co-operating in his kidnap. [11]

• In May 2006, Chongryon and the pro-South Mindan agreed to reconcile, only for the agreement to break down the following month due to Mindan's distrust of Chongryon. North Korea's missile tests in July 2006 have deepened the divide, with Chongryon refusing to condemn the missile tests, expressing only its regret that the Japanese government has suspended the operation of the Mangyongbong-92. Outraged senior Mindan officials joined mainstream Japanese politicians and media in sharply criticizing Chongryon's silence over the matter.

• In November 2006, police raided the Chongryon's Tokyo headquarters in an investigation behind an attempt to illegally export 60 bags of intravenous solutions to North Korea. The solution was intercepted by Japanese customs as they were taken aboard Mangyongbong-92. It was reported that the solutions could have been used to make biological weapons, a claim denied by Chongryon. Crowds of Chongryon supporters tried to block access to the building, leading to deployment of riot police.

• In Feb 2007, police in Hokkaido raided ten locations linked to Chongryon, including its Hokkaido head office in Sapporo and a famous mutton yakiniku restaurant owned by a senior Chongryon official in Susukino, Sapporo, over alleged tax evasion amounting to tens of millions of yen. Four people, including the restaurant owner and a senior official of Chongryon's Sapporo chamber of commerce and industry, were arrested.

• Also in Feb 2007, Police raided several locations including Chongryon's Hyogo headquarters in Kobe, and arrested three people, including Song Gi Hwan, who heads the accounting division of Chongryon's Hyogo chamber of commerce and industry, over alleged unlicensed accounting. Riot police scuffled with a crowd of Chongryon supporters who gathered in protest. Footage of the raids were later released by Chongryon.

• On 3rd March 2007, thousands of Chongryon members staged a rally in Hibiya Park in protest against police investigations into the organisation and bullying of schoolchildren, which they called "political suppression and human rights abuses" by the Japanese authorities. The protesters, who numbered between 3000 (according to local media) and 7000 (according to Chongryon), staged a 2.9km-long march wielding posters of the North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il. Chongryon's number two, Nam Sung-U was quoted as saying "Japan's violations of human rights against the DPRK and Koreans in Japan cannot be allowed, no matter what". The Tokyo Metropolitan Government attempted to ban the protest fearing violence but they were overruled by a court ruling. Riot police scuffled with Japanese ultranationalist groups who had gathered in counterprotest resulting in one arrest.

This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Ryokichi Minobe (美濃部亮吉, February 5, 1904 - December 24, 1984) was a Japanese politician who served as Governor of Tokyo from 1967 to 1979. ... Picture of Taepodong-1 missile test from 1998 Two rounds of North Korean missile tests were conducted on July 5, 2006. ... Yakiniku at a yakiniku-ya. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Schools and Institutions under Chongryon

• 3 Kindergartens
• 19 Elementary schools
• 34 Elementary schools with junior high school
• 5 Elementary schools with junior and high school
• 2 Junior high schools
• 3 Junior high schools with high school
• 4 High schools
• 1 University

• 8 Banks

In the United States and Germany, kindergarten (German for garden of children) refers to the first level of a childs formal education. ... Primary or elementary education is the first years of formal, structured education that occurs during childhood. ... Middle school and junior high school cover a period of education that straddles primary education and secondary education and serve as a bridge between them. ... Main article: Secondary education High school is a name used in some parts of the world, and particularly in North America, to describe the last segment of compulsory education. ... Representation of a university class, 1350s. ... BRD-SG in IaÅŸi - A small branch dedicated to retail services For other uses, see Bank (disambiguation). ...

See also

• Ethnic issues in Japan
• Koreatown
• Gyopo

This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Koreatown (Korean: 코리아타운) is a term to describe the Korean ethnic enclave within a city or metropolitan area. ... Gyopo (교포) or Dongpo (동포) is a term originating from the Korean language, describing persons of Korean ethnic descent who have lived the majority of their lives outside Korea. ...

External links

• Chongryon official website (Korean & Japanese) Note: Connection to this site is blocked in South Korea.
• Identity crisis for Japan's Koreans - BBC
• Korean residents in anguish / broken dreams - an article about Chongryon by Asahi.com
• Testing Tolerance article on Chongryon schools in Tokyo