Mindan ( ko, 민단), or the Korean Residents Union in Japan (), is one of two main organizations for Koreansliving in Japan, the other being
Chongryon
The General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, " ''
. Mindan has ties to South Korea and was established in 1946 in Tokyo, Japan. Currently, among the 610,000 Korean residents in Japan who have not become naturalized Japanese citizens, 65% are members of Mindan, and another 25% are members of Chongryon.
Mindan members prefer the modern South Korean term to be used when discussing Korea. Chongryon members, some of whom are North Korean
fellow travellers
The term ''fellow traveller'' (also ''fellow traveler'') identifies a person who is intellectually sympathetic to the ideology of a political organization, and who co-operates in the organization's politics, without being a formal member of that o ...
, prefer the older term . Because ''Chōsen'' was the term used during the
Japanese rule of Korea
Between 1910 and 1945, Korea was ruled as a part of the Empire of Japan. Joseon Korea had come into the Japanese sphere of influence with the Japan–Korea Treaty of 1876; a complex coalition of the Meiji government, military, and business offici ...
and North Korea does not recognize ''Kankoku'', this causes enmity between the groups.
History
Mindan was established in 1946 as the . With the founding of the South Korea in 1948 the name ''Chōsen'' was dropped, and the organization was reincorporated as . The Korean War (1950–1953) brought about a sharp division between members of Chongryon and Mindan, with each organization strongly supporting the North or South respectively. Mindan members went to Korea as volunteer soldiers in the conflict.
As the term ''kyoryū'', meaning "resident", became a politically sensitive term, the organization adopted its present name in 1994 by simply dropping the term ''kyoryū''. Despite the formal renaming of the organization, it has been consistently known as ''Kankoku Mindan'' or simply ''Mindan'' in Japan.
Activities
Main activities include campaigning for ahead of foreign investment regime in Japan, supporting newcomer Koreans to obtain special permanent resident, campaigning against the foreign registration order/law, campaigning for the elimination of legal and economic disparity with Japanese, Japan-Korea historical and cultural exchange based on the Korean perception of history, and publicity and propaganda against Japan and the outside world.
Mindan provided food supplies for the victims of the
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The occurred at 14:46 JST (05:46 UTC) on 11 March. The magnitude 9.0–9.1 (M) undersea megathrust earthquake had an epicenter in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region, and lasted approximately six minut ...
.
Affiliates
*Republic of Korea Woman Association in Japan
*Zainichi Korean Apprentice Volunteers' Comerade Association
*Korean Sport Association in Japan
*Korean Chamber of Commerce & Industry in Japan
*Korean Youth Association in Japan
*Republic of Korea Student Association in Japan
*Korean Scientist Association in Japan
*Korean Lawyer Forum in Japan
*United Korean Credit Association in Japan
*Korean Culture and Art Association in Japan
*Korean Doctor Association in Japan
*Korean School League in Japan
*Mindan Life Introducing Center
*Mindan North Korean Defector Support Center
*Zainichi Korean History Museum
*Korean schools (Kankoku gakkō)
** Educational Foundation Baekdu Hagwon
***Keonguk Kindergarten
***Keonguk Elementary School
***Keonguk Primary School
***Keonguk High School
** Osaka Kongo International Elementary, Middle & High School
**
Tokyo Korean School
Tokyo Korean School ( ja, 東京韓国学校 ''Tōkyō Kankoku Gakkō'', ko, 동경한국학교) is a Korean school located in Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan; catering to the Korean expatriate community and to Japanese-Koreans living ...
**
Kyoto International Junior and Senior High School
Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the cit ...