When most people think about North Korea, images of both seclusion and hostility come to mind. North Korea is largely shunned by the international community–its only alliances are with China, Russia, and Iran–and many fear the country for its unpredictable leader, nuclear weapons, and aggressive political tactics. Nonetheless, the country has cultivated pockets of consistent, unappreciated power inside one of its greatest enemies: Japan. For years, North Korea has maintained influence across Japan, funding pro-North Korean organizations and integrating its propaganda into the education of Zainichi Koreans (Korean nationals who live in Japan). While these measures often fly under the radar of the international community, they are a powerful example of the pervasiveness of North Korean influence abroad.
In 1910, the Korean Peninsula was officially colonized by Japan. During the colonial period, all expression of Korean culture was stamped out in favor of Japanese culture, and many Koreans moved to Japan, both by choice and by force. By the time colonization ended in 1945, there were over two million Koreans living in Japan, and while many of them returned to their home country, hundreds of thousands stayed. These Zainichi Koreans affiliated themselves with one of two organizations – Mindan, which backed South Korea, and Choren, which backed North Korea. While Japan ultimately banned Choren and all other North Korean organizations in 1952, they quickly reformed under different names. Chongryon soon became the most prominent North Korean organization in Japan, operating money-generating institutions from banks to pachinko parlors. Its influence persists to this day, with around 25% of Zainichi Koreans affiliating themselves with the group.
A common goal that unites both Chongryon and Mindan is the promotion of Korean ethnic schools. Following World War II, discrimination against Koreans in Japan was (and continues to be) a fact of life for many, and Zainichi Koreans wanted schools where their children would be accepted and could connect to their cultural background. As a result, both Mindan and Chongryon established schools across Japan. Although both systems teach fundamentals like math, science, and history, there are key differences that set these institutions apart.
The few Mindan schools that exist use Japanese as their official language, offering Korean only as an elective course, while Chongryon schools stick to Korean for all classroom activities. Chongryon curriculum also includes pro-North Korea messaging. In every Chongryon classroom, portraits of former Supreme Leaders Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il are displayed, North Korea is referred to as “The Fatherland,” and maps of the Korean Peninsula show a united Korea with a capital of Pyongyang. Many Chongyron schools even have field trips to North Korea where students are made to feel welcomed by the country. This continuous propaganda is not simply a product of individual supporters of North Korea–the curriculum is shaped by the North Korean government itself. In 2021, the North Korean government released a statement that indicated it had spent around 500 billion won (about $350 million) on Chongryon and its schools in the 66 years since the organization was established.
In the late 1950s the Chongryon schools played a key role in North Korea’s “Return to Paradise” campaign in which nearly 100,000 Zainichi Koreans were repatriated to North Korea. During this time, North Korea’s economy was stronger than that of the South, and with the consistent propaganda disseminated by Chongryon and its schools, many Zainichi Koreans truly believed that by going to North Korea, they could live a better life. Most, however, were disappointed by what they saw upon their arrival on the shores of the North. Around 200 people involved in this movement ultimately defected from North Korea and returned to Japan.
This repatriation campaign was a clear marker of Chongryon’s influence at the time, but since then, the pervasiveness of Chongryon schools in Japan has declined. More and more Zainichi Koreans align themselves with South Korea, and due to negative perceptions of North Korea in Japanese society, going to a Chongryon school can place children at a disadvantage when applying for jobs or further education. Furthermore, because the Chongryon schools are legally categorized as “miscellaneous schools” instead of “regular schools,” students at these institutions cannot get the same student benefits as others in Japan. The Japanese government has also taken steps to restrict these schools–while the government originally gave limited funding to Chongryon schools, in recent years this aid has significantly diminished, and in some prefectures, been completely cut off.
Despite these issues, it makes sense why many parents choose to send their children to Chongryon schools. Students explain that being surrounded by fellow Koreans allows them to be themselves in a way they cannot in other spaces, and because Chongryon schools operate in Korean, unlike Mindan schools, they are a better option for those who want to connect with their Korean heritage. Chongryon schools are also far more accessible. Mindan only operates four schools in Japan, but Chongryon runs dozens of schools across the country. It seems that for some, Chongryon schools provide an additional benefit of inadvertently teaching critical thinking–while some students may be blindly loyal to North Korea, others see this unique education as an opportunity to compare ideas and learn from different perspectives.
While the heyday of Chongryon schools has come and gone, they are still a key part of the lives of thousands of Zainichi Koreans, for better and for worse. These schools are unquestionably major sources of propaganda, but parents who send their children to this education system shouldn’t immediately be villainized as North Korean sympathizers. By establishing more Mindan schools and implementing the Korean language into their core curricula, the Japanese government could at least partially resolve the dilemma of Chongryon schools, giving Zainichi Korean children accessible opportunities to connect with their culture without pro-North Korean indoctrination. As North Korea continues to dominate current events, the anxiety surrounding these schools will likely spike, and only time will tell how the Japanese government will tackle this complicated issue.
Featured/Headline Image Caption and Citation: Kim Jong II Study Case, taken by Stefan Krasowski | Image sourced from Flickr | CC License, no changes made
Author
