Ethnic Korean Group in Japan Urges Wider Use of Korean

Mindan, a group of ethnic Korean residents in Japan, has launched a campaign to promote use of the Korean language.

To enhance identity among ethnic Koreans in Japan, the group decided yesterday to take the lead in using Korean at a meeting of chapter heads at its headquarters in Tokyo.

“With the shift of generations among ethnic Koreans in Japan, national education and fostering of next-generation Koreans with Korean identity are needed,” Mindan said in a statement. “Members have taken the initiative in using Korean.”

As such, Korean-language education for young Koreans residents in Japan is expected to spread.

Korean Ambassador to Japan Kwon Chul-hyun played a role in the group’s decision to promote the use of Korean. Saying many ethnic Korean residents in Japan can speak Korean and that official Mindan events are conducted in Japanese, Kwon urged leading members of the group to use Korean.

“At least, the greetings of official events should be conducted in Korean,” he said.

For members poor at Korean, Kwon has asked them frequently to study Korean.

Mindan will also stage a campaign to increase savings in banks run by ethnic Koreans to help Korea reinvigorate its economy and assist ethnic Korean residents in Japan.

To this end, the group will join hands with the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan, the Credit Union Federation of Korean Residents in Japan, and Japanese branches of Korean banks. They will encourage each ethnic Korean resident to have either a bankbook with a deposit of more than 100,000 yen (1,020 U.S. dollars) or more in a one-year time deposit.

jkmas@donga.com