Overview
Chosen gakko (朝鮮学校, Chōsen gakkō), known as Choson hakkyo (조선학교, Chosŏn hakkyo) in Korean, is an ethnic-centric heritage school for Koreans living in Japan. Chosen gakko means Korean school.
Current students and alumni sometimes call it Urihakkyo (ウリハッキョ)
Under Japanese law, they are considered various types of schools, and since they are not single-jurisdiction schools, graduation is not considered a Japanese educational background, and is treated the same as attending a free school, although some universities may consider them as high school graduates.
The school receives funding and other resources from North Korea, and its personnel are also influenced by instructions from North Korea.
The nationality of the students is not exclusively North Korean; a small number of them are also South Korean. Some schools are first-college schools and accept Japanese students.
Korean schools that are first-judgement schools are recognized as Japanese educational institutions, and Japanese students can also enroll.
Debate and Uproar Over Chosen Gakko
The debate is strongly divided on the pros and cons of public subsidies to Chosen gakko by Japanese local governments.
The Social Democratic Party, Komeito, the Japanese Communist Party, and the Japan Teachers Union insist that the subsidies should continue, while the Democratic Party is divided even within its own party. Touru Hashimoto announced that he would cut the school attendance subsidy when he was governor of the Hashimoto prefecture.
Also, Korean organizations, including a group of North Korean defectors, have requested that the Japanese government not subsidize the program.
It should also be noted that several Chosen gakko teachers (including Kim Kilwook (金 吉旭/キム・キルウク, name needs a translation check), former principal of Osaka Korean Elementary School) were involved in the abductions and are wanted internationally.
In recent years, Zainichi Koreans have become increasingly naturalized with each passing generation, or have taken into consideration their future life in Japan, or have avoided ethnic schools due to high tuition fees, and have tended to go to first-rate schools in Japan.
Due to the sharp decline in enrollment, some Chosen gakkos have been forced to close, consolidate, or close, and in some of the worst cases, there are even schools with as few as five students.
Chosen gakko been struggling financially year by year, and they are strongly seeking assistance from Japanese local governments, but due to the recent severe public opinion against North Korea in Japan, some local governments have begun to cut off aid.
In 2009, Kyoto Korean No. 1 Elementary School illegally rented out a park, causing friction with local residents,
As a result, a Japanese far-right group attacked the school (known on the Internet as the "Korean School Attack" (朝鮮学校襲撃事件)).
Chosen gakko were excluded from the free high school education system, and the Chosen gakkos lost the lawsuit.
For some reason, many lawyers, regardless of whether they were involved in the lawsuit against Chosen gakko, were disciplined, and the blog that allegedly instigated the disciplinary action was shut down and fled the scene.
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Korea North Korea School Zainichi Korean
