PRESS CONFERENCE
80th Anniversary of World War II Series

Strange Relationship: Korea and Japan
Kim Ijung, President of central head office, The Korean Residents Union in Japan (Mindan)

11:00-12:00 Tuesday, July 22, 2025
(The speech and Q & A will be in Japanese with English interpretation.)


Japan and South Korea this month quietly celebrated 60 years of diplomatic ties. Some might think there is little to celebrate, given decades of political tension and rancor, much of it caused by the hangover from Japan's colonial rule over the Korean Peninsula. Both sides are carefully looking at the performance of Lee Jae Myung, the South’s new president, who is a well-known critic of what he sees as Japan's failure to properly atone for its imperialist past.

The legacy of the past, of course, includes a large community of ethnic Koreans who live in Japan. The Korean Residents Union in Japan, popularly known as Mindan, has long represented the interests of the bulk of ethnic Korean residents in this country. Since the Korean War (1950-1953), it has mostly represented zainichi people who are loyal to the South, in contrast to Chongryon, which has ties to the North.

As South Korea approaches the 80th anniversary of what it calls liberation from Japanese colonialism in 1945, and the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations, it is a perfect time for a retrospective and some thoughts about the future. Both sides seem to be moving closer, and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba recently pledged cooperation in what he called "common challenges", such as declining populations. The president of Mindan will share his thoughts on this vital but troubled relationship.

How to attend: 
Please register at front@fccj.or.jp with your name, the name of your media outlet, and FCCJ membership number. Doors open 15 minutes before the event.

How to watch online: https://www.youtube.com/c/FCCJchannel/live  

How to ask questions: https://forms.gle/gCERchB7NZypeyxTA  

TV crew: Please make a reservation at front@fccj.or.jp. Doors open for TV crews only at 30 minutes before the event. FCCJ will limit live-streaming of FCCJ-hosted press conferences to Club members only. Non-members will no longer be permitted to live-stream these events. However, non-members may still film for reporting purposes and use footage after the press conference.

記者会見

シリーズ 戦後80年
金利中、在日本大韓民国民団 中央本部 団長

7月22日(火)11:00-12:00 
(スピーチ、Q＆A：逐次通訳付き日本語)

*こちらのイベントをオンライン視聴ご希望の方はFCCJ YouTubeチャンネルのライブ配信をご覧ください。会場での取材、TV撮影をご希望のメディアはfront@fccj.or.jp　にてご予約ください。TV撮影は予約順、ライブ配信は会員のみに限定となり、非会員の方によるライブ配信はご遠慮いただきます。

Professional Activities Committee