Unveiling the Hidden Gems of Korea: A Conversation with a Korean Lawyer in Japan

Learning about the Korean Peninsula through Culture Vol.13 – As a Korean lawyer in Japan

[Series: Learning about the Korean Peninsula through its culture] aims to broaden understanding of the Korean Peninsula and the culture of the people with roots there through video streaming.

Guest: Koo Ryongok (Lawyer)
This time, we welcome lawyer Koo Ryongok as our guest and hear him speak under the title “As a Korean lawyer living in Japan.”

Overview
The NHK drama series “Widely on a Tiger” depicts various deeply rooted oppressions and discrimination in society that continue to this day. One of the characters, Choi Hyang-socast, is from the Korean Peninsula, which was under Japanese colonial rule. It was in 1977 that a Korean resident of Japan became a legal train and for the first time without acquiring Japanese citizenship. In other words, until then, if you did not acquire Japanese citizenship, you could not enter the Legal Training and Research Institute even if you passed the bar exam.

Historical Context
On May 2nd, 1947, the day before the Constitution of Japan came into effect, Emperor Showa’s final imperial decree, the Alien Registration Order, was issued, excluding Koreans from the “nationals” defined by the Constitution.

Interview with Koo Ryongok
We spoke with Mr. Koo Ryongok, who is from Utoro, Uji City, Kyoto Pref, and served as the lawyer representing the plaintiffs in the Kyoto First Korean Elementary School attack case, among other cases.

Interview Topics
What made you want to become a lawyer?
Minorities and the current state of the judiciary
The hate crime he experienced and the attack on Kyoto Korean Primary School
What do you think about the criminal and civil verdicts in the attack case?
What kind of community is UtorW in Uji City, Mr. Koo’s hometown?
Koreans in Japan and Korean Society
I couldn’t tell them I was from Utoro.
Utoro arson incident – It felt like I was being burned
Hate crimes and the attitude of public authorities
Future goals: Creating a system to combat discrimination
The significance of cultural works directly depicting discrimination

Organizers
Certified NPO legal person Dialogue for People
Waseda University Institute of Korean Studies
Support: Korea Foundation
Conducted by: Jin Jingming, Yasuda Natsuki
Cast: Mr. Koo Ryong (Lawyer)

More Videos
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