About 600 thousand Korean Residents are living Japan, and they nationality is “Korea (朝鮮籍)”, “Republic of Korea (韓国籍)”, and “Japan (日本籍)”.  That history is started in 1910, when Japan amalgamated with Korea peninsula.  In 1945, Japan was defeated in WWII, when a lot of Korean was living in Japan.  When Korean resident had “Japan” citizenship.

In 1974, Japan government promulgated “Command of Foreign Registration (外国人登録令)”, that later, Korean residents became “Foreigner” in Japan.  When they haven’t Nationality, because Korea was not country.  They “Foreign Registration” have written “Korea”.  That is symbol of “From Korea”.  Some time lather, Republic of Korea (ROK) and Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) was founded in Korea peninsula.

In 1965, Japan had entered into diplomatic relations with ROK that made “ROK” citizenship Korean resident.  Before, Korean resident haven’t Nationality, however if they get “ROK” citizenship, they can change “From Korea” to “ROK” citizen.  When a lot of Korean resident changed “From Korea” to “ROK”, because “ROK” and diplomatic relations country citizen can get right more than “Symbol”.

In Japan, “Korea” mean DPRK, however, that not truth.  A lot of Japanese think “Korea” nationality people is “DPRK” citizen. However, DPRK nationality does not exist in Japan, because Japan and DPRK haven’t diplomatic relations.  “Korea (朝鮮籍)” is meaning “From Korea” only.  So, they are stateless person.  In this case, why Korean resident are keeping “Korea”? Some Korean resident think “Korea” mean “Unification Korea”.  Because, Korea peninsula is cutting DPRK and ROK, however they have spirit of Unification Korea.  Some Korean resident have “I’m DPRK citizen spirit”.  For example, CHONG Tae-se has “ROK” nationality, but he is player national team of DPRK.  He has spirit of DPRK citizen.

Korean resident have a lot of problem that is too.  Korean resident problem gave by Japan government.  Japan government should change policy of Korean resident.  Korean resident citizenship problem have one of most important problem.  And Japanese people should understand Korean resident problem.

by Kazuki Baba