Our Voices Have Been Delivered!
Activists from the "International Network," representing South Korea, Japan, the USA, Europe, Australia, and beyond, have officially delivered the signatures from the campaign "End Discrimination Against Children! Protect Chosen Schools! Global Citizens’ Signatures" to the Japanese government. This movement, which began in March 2025, has reached a significant milestone.
On April 23, 2026, at 3:00 PM, a press conference was held at the House of Councillors Office Building in Japan. During the event, signatures from 46,859 participants (including 45,609 submitted on the day) were handed over to officials from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) and the Children and Families Agency.
Makiko Kishi, a member of the House of Councillors from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, attended the event and expressed her solidarity. She criticized the Japanese government, stating, "Exclusionary sentiment and discrimination against Chosen schools are rampant. We will continue our parliamentary support group for Chosen schools and work until the issue of tuition-free education is resolved."
Representing Japanese civil society, Yasunari Fujimoto (Representative of the National Network to Support Chosen Schools) expressed his indignation: "Chosen schools remain excluded from high school tuition-free programs, early childhood education support, and even the newly revised high school tuition bills. Despite the UN Human Rights Committee recommending the rectification of this discrimination ten times, the Japanese government remains silent. As a Japanese citizen, I can no longer tolerate this shame."
Ha Sang-yun (Standing Representative of 'Bom,' a civic group supporting Chosen schools) raised his voice, stating, "Japan, which enacted the Basic Act on Children based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, is now contradicting the very spirit of that law—the right to equal education."
Kim Myung-jun (Secretary General of 'Mongdangyeonpil') criticized the government, saying, "Decades have passed since the establishment of Chosen schools, yet the reality of children suffering under discrimination remains unchanged. I want to ask: when will the day come when these children can study like everyone else?"
Yoo Jae-hyun (Representative of the Support Association for Chosen Schools in Germany) appealed for an urgent end to discrimination: "It is unjustifiable to shift the burden of colonial responsibility onto children while ignoring the history of colonial rule. Children are not targets for accountability; they are subjects to be protected."
Finally, Kim Mi-ra (Steering Committee Member of the Korean Diaspora Group in the USA) delivered a heartfelt plea: "If you lose your language, your identity weakens. Please stop depriving Chosen school students of their right to education."
In response, officials from MEXT and the Children and Families Agency, who received the signatures on-site, repeated their standard "parrot-like" response: "Chosen schools did not meet the legal requirements and thus were not included this time. We will convey today’s input to the respective ministries for review."
In the subsequent press conference, reporters from the Kanagawa Shimbun, Hankook Ilbo, Asahi Shimbun, and the Japanese Communist Party's Akahata engaged in a heated Q&A session. Addressing their questions, Lee Yong-sik (Steering Committee Member of the Korean Diaspora Group) pointed out the current reality: "Politics should not step a single foot into the children’s classrooms. The Japanese government must stop treating Chosen schools as political and diplomatic pawns."
A total of 46,859 voices were delivered to the Japanese government. We record our demands once more as we conclude this report. We extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who participated in the signature drive.
The Japanese government must implement the recommendations regarding Chosen schools in accordance with international human rights norms!
The Japanese government must apply the Basic Act on Children to all children without ethnic discrimination!
The Japanese government must apply tuition-free education policies to Chosen schools!
The links below are the news articles covering this report.
Oh My News
The Hankook Ilbo
Our Voices Have Been Delivered!
Activists from the "International Network," representing South Korea, Japan, the USA, Europe, Australia, and beyond, have officially delivered the signatures from the campaign "End Discrimination Against Children! Protect Chosen Schools! Global Citizens’ Signatures" to the Japanese government. This movement, which began in March 2025, has reached a significant milestone.
On April 23, 2026, at 3:00 PM, a press conference was held at the House of Councillors Office Building in Japan. During the event, signatures from 46,859 participants (including 45,609 submitted on the day) were handed over to officials from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) and the Children and Families Agency.
Makiko Kishi, a member of the House of Councillors from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, attended the event and expressed her solidarity. She criticized the Japanese government, stating, "Exclusionary sentiment and discrimination against Chosen schools are rampant. We will continue our parliamentary support group for Chosen schools and work until the issue of tuition-free education is resolved."
Representing Japanese civil society, Yasunari Fujimoto (Representative of the National Network to Support Chosen Schools) expressed his indignation: "Chosen schools remain excluded from high school tuition-free programs, early childhood education support, and even the newly revised high school tuition bills. Despite the UN Human Rights Committee recommending the rectification of this discrimination ten times, the Japanese government remains silent. As a Japanese citizen, I can no longer tolerate this shame."
Ha Sang-yun (Standing Representative of 'Bom,' a civic group supporting Chosen schools) raised his voice, stating, "Japan, which enacted the Basic Act on Children based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, is now contradicting the very spirit of that law—the right to equal education."
Kim Myung-jun (Secretary General of 'Mongdangyeonpil') criticized the government, saying, "Decades have passed since the establishment of Chosen schools, yet the reality of children suffering under discrimination remains unchanged. I want to ask: when will the day come when these children can study like everyone else?"
Yoo Jae-hyun (Representative of the Support Association for Chosen Schools in Germany) appealed for an urgent end to discrimination: "It is unjustifiable to shift the burden of colonial responsibility onto children while ignoring the history of colonial rule. Children are not targets for accountability; they are subjects to be protected."
Finally, Kim Mi-ra (Steering Committee Member of the Korean Diaspora Group in the USA) delivered a heartfelt plea: "If you lose your language, your identity weakens. Please stop depriving Chosen school students of their right to education."
In response, officials from MEXT and the Children and Families Agency, who received the signatures on-site, repeated their standard "parrot-like" response: "Chosen schools did not meet the legal requirements and thus were not included this time. We will convey today’s input to the respective ministries for review."
In the subsequent press conference, reporters from the Kanagawa Shimbun, Hankook Ilbo, Asahi Shimbun, and the Japanese Communist Party's Akahata engaged in a heated Q&A session. Addressing their questions, Lee Yong-sik (Steering Committee Member of the Korean Diaspora Group) pointed out the current reality: "Politics should not step a single foot into the children’s classrooms. The Japanese government must stop treating Chosen schools as political and diplomatic pawns."
A total of 46,859 voices were delivered to the Japanese government. We record our demands once more as we conclude this report. We extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who participated in the signature drive.
The Japanese government must implement the recommendations regarding Chosen schools in accordance with international human rights norms!
The Japanese government must apply the Basic Act on Children to all children without ethnic discrimination!
The Japanese government must apply tuition-free education policies to Chosen schools!
The links below are the news articles covering this report.
Oh My News
The Hankook Ilbo