Mindan

Korean Residents Union in Japan

Abbreviation	Mindan
Formation	October 3, 1946 (1946-10-03)
Type	NGO
Location	South Azabu 1-7-32, Minato, Tokyo
Official language	Korean, Japanese
Website	http://www.mindan.org/

Korean Residents Union in Japan
Flag of Mindan
Japanese name
Kanji	在日本大韓民国民団
Transcriptions Revised Hepburn Zai-Nihon Daikanminkoku Mindan
Korean name
Hangul	재일본대한민국민단
Hanja	在日本大韓民國民團
Transcriptions Revised Romanization Jae-Ilbon Daehanminguk Mindan McCune–Reischauer Chae-Ilbon Taehan Min'guk Mindan

Mindan (Korean: 민단), or the Korean Residents Union in Japan (재일본대한민국민단), is one of two main organizations for Koreans living in Japan, the other being Chongryon. 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 Kankoku (韓国) to be used when discussing Korea. Chongryon members, some of whom are North Korean fellow travellers, prefer the older term Chōsen (朝鮮). Because Chōsen was the term used during the Japanese rule of Korea and North Korea does not recognize Kankoku, this causes enmity between the groups.

History

Mindan was established in 1946 as the Zai-Nihon Chōsen Kyoryū Mindan (在日本朝鮮居留民団). With the founding of the South Korea in 1948 the name Chōsen was dropped, and the organization was reincorporated as Zai-Nihon Daikanminkoku Kyoryū Mindan (在日本大韓民国居留民団). 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.

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
• 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
  • Kyoto International Junior and Senior High School

See also

• Japan-Korea relations
• Ethnic issues in Japan
• Koreatowns in Japan
• Korean diaspora (a.k.a. 'Dongpo' or 'Gyopo')
• Chongryon, similar organization with close ties to North Korea
• Embassy of South Korea, Tokyo

External links

• MINDAN official website (Korean, Japanese)
• History of Mindan (English)
• Mindan News (Japanese)
• Republic of Korea (ROK) Embassy in Japan (Korean / Japanese)