Report on the 3rd International Solidarity Hanmadang NGO Against Discrimination of Korean Schools in Kyoto (1)
From April 23 to 26, 2026, the 3rd International Solidarity Hanmadang was held in Kyoto, Japan—a true battleground of the struggle. Following the first event in Seoul and the second in Busan, this third gathering in Kyoto became larger and more fulfilling than ever before. Let us introduce those passionate three days and two nights.
The "International Solidarity Hanmadang NGO Against Discrimination of Korean Schools in Japan" is a joint event hosted annually by the International Network Standing with Korean Schools in Japan. Formed in 2024, it brings together civic organizations from the United States, Japan, Europe, Australia, and South Korea that fight together to support Korean schools in Japan and eliminate discrimination against them.
Every year, April 24 is known as the "4.24 Education Struggle Day" to commemorate the struggle of Zainichi Koreans in 1948, who resisted the forced closure of Korean schools in Japan by the Japanese government and the GHQ (General Headquarters of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers). To mark this day, activists from around the world gathered at this event to demand an end to the discrimination that persists even now, 80 years later, and to strengthen the bonds of solidarity.
This year, the event was hosted by Kkotbongori (The Buds)—officially known as the "Association for the Development of Korean Schools in Japan and Ethnic Education in Kyoto and Shiga"—a civic group supporting four Korean schools in Japan in Kyoto and Shiga prefectures. It took place across various locations in Kyoto.
For this Hanmadang event, Kkotbongori set four major goals:
Convey international voices opposing discrimination against Korean schools in Japan to Japanese society.
Deliver international solidarity and support for Korean schools in Japan to the Zainichi Korean community.
Strengthen international solidarity among NGOs supporting Korean schools in Japan.
Deepen the understanding of Korean schools in Japan and Zainichi Koreans among representatives of supporting NGOs.
<Photo 1> Members of Kkotbongori, who spent a year preparing and successfully hosting the 3rd Hanmadang event. There are many other members in addition to them.
To achieve these goals, the following events were organized:
April 23: Action to submit the "Global Citizens' Petition" to the Japanese Government
April 24: Street March through downtown Kyoto
April 25: Symposium and Cultural Performance
April 26: International Activists' Roundtable Meeting
On the 23rd, activists from all over the world submitted the signatures collected through the "Global Citizens' Petition Campaign" to the Japanese government at the House of Councillors Members' Office Building in Tokyo and held a press conference. On the 24th, the anniversary of the 4.24 Education Struggle, they gathered in front of Kyoto City Hall. They came to participate in the "Tuesday Action in Kyoto to Demand the Application of 'Free High School Education' and 'Free Early Childhood Education and Care' to Korean Schools in Japan," a campaign held monthly by the Korean residents in Kyoto.
At 6:00 PM, while the sun was still out, about 200 people gathered in front of Kyoto City Hall. This included Zainichi Korean youth preparing for the rally, students from Kyoto Korean Junior and Senior High School in Japan, activists from Japanese support groups who traveled from all over Japan, international network NGO activists, and local Zainichi Korean residents of Kyoto. It is said to be the largest turnout since the COVID-19 pandemic. The faces of the Zainichi Korean residents, shouting "Stop discrimination against Korean schools in Japan" in such numbers for the first time in a while, were glowing.
<Photo 2> <International Network> activists, Japanese support group activists, and compatriots gathered in front of Kyoto City Hall.
At the pre-march rally, a third-year student from Kyoto Korean Junior and Senior High School in Japan spoke:
"During a soccer match, someone hurled a contemptuous remark at me, saying, 'And you call yourself a Korean!' Hearing that made me feel like it would be better to just hide my true identity and live. ~ However, now that I am a senior, I regret having those thoughts. A Korean school in Japan is a place where I can exist as who I truly am, a place that taught me how to live a true human life. I realized that my duty is to oppose the unjust discrimination we face and to fight for our rights. A Korean school in Japan is not a place to hide. The struggle to reclaim our rights is a fight to find my true self."
A Japanese public school teacher also strongly criticized Japanese society, stating:
"I only painfully realized the reality of discrimination against Korean schools in Japan, to which I had previously been omitted, after visiting the school and meeting the children myself. The high school tuition waiver discrimination is being implemented even more blatantly by exploiting this indifference. Who on earth is this discrimination for? I want to join hands with everyone gathered here to change this society and stand in solidarity."
The plea of a fourth-year Japanese student from Kyoto University, who has regularly participated in the Tuesday Actions, was heartbreaking:
"While handing out flyers downtown, a Japanese citizen yelled a slur at me: 'You Koreans!' It hurt me deeply, but the reality is that those from Korean schools in Japan have to hear such words as the directly affected parties. Imagine how much more they must be hurting. There were days when not a single person would accept a flyer. We, the Japanese people who hold voting rights, must participate in politics and change this. Let us spread the word to those around us, bit by bit, within our own capacities."
<Photo 3> Lee Yong-sik, representative of the <Korean-American Our School Society Standing with>, speaking at the pre-rally.
<Photo 4> Ha Yeon-hwa and Representative Ha Sang-yoon of <'Bom' (Spring), a Civic Group Protecting Korean Schools and Children>, holding a hand-held sign that reads, "Equal right to learn for children! High school tuition waiver for Korean schools, too!"
Speaking on behalf of the international network NGO activists, Lee Yong-sik, representative of the Korean-American Society Standing with Our School, criticized the Japanese government's behavior with a passionate voice:
"Bringing politics and diplomacy into children's educational institutions to discriminate against them is unacceptable in any country. The Japanese government is doing things to Korean school children in Japan without hesitation—things that would be unimaginable in any other developed nation. They must learn to feel shame before history."
After the 30-minute pre-rally, the participants headed into downtown Kyoto holding placards and hand-held signs. They marched for about 2 kilometers from Kyoto City Hall, through the bustling shopping districts, to Maruyama Park, chanting for an end to discrimination against Korean schools in Japan.
<Photo 5> The march procession entering downtown Kyoto after the pre-rally, showing an activist from a Chosun school support civic group from Yamaguchi at the very front, followed by activists from Japanese civic groups. Out of frame at the very head of the procession, Korean school students marched.
<Photo 6> Korean school students at the front are marching together with young compatriots while playing Samulnori (traditional Korean percussion instruments).
The organizers of the Tuesday Action kindly shared the slogans to chant during the march for those of us who came from afar, even teaching us the correct pronunciation so we could join in on the final words of each phrase:
① 朝鮮高校に通う学生達に無償化を (適用せよ！)
Apply the tuition waiver to students attending Korean High Schools in Japan! (Apply it! / teki yo se yo)
② 高校無償化から外国人学校を排除 (するな！)
Do not exclude international schools from the high school tuition waiver! (Do not do it! / su ru na)
③ すべての子どもたちに学ぶ権利を (保障しろ！)
Guarantee the right to education for all children! (Guarantee it! / hosyo shiro)
④ 国連의 差別is정勧告を (遵守せよ！)
Comply with the UN recommendations to rectify discrimination! (Comply! / jyun syu se yo)
⑤ 外国人生徒たちを仲間はずれに (するな！)
Do not exclude foreign students! (Do not do it! / su ru na)
When we passed through Shijo Kawaramachi, the largest bustling district in Kyoto, it was packed with crowds as it was Friday evening. Among them, tourists from abroad were particularly noticeable; many of them listened intently to our messages or took photographs. Some even waved at us. On the other hand, those leading the march had an unpleasant experience. A middle-aged Japanese man rushed toward the front of the march, brandishing the cane he was leaning on, and screamed, "Go back to Joseon (Korea)!" Our group quickly stepped in to stop him, but no police officers nearby intervened to restrain him.
Kyoto's Tuesday Action is a regular campaign carried out by Zainichi Koreans, similar to Tokyo's Friday Action and Osaka's Tuesday Protest. It is said to have already surpassed 300 iterations. I thought that because more people gathered to raise their voices together today, we might avoid such unpleasant incidents, but it seems reality cannot be helped. My heart ached when I thought of our fellow compatriots and Korean school students in Japan who have to live in a Japan where the government takes the lead in fueling xenophobia and shouting about making it a country capable of waging war.
Nevertheless, on this day, those of us gathered from Kyoto, Osaka, Tokyo, Shiga, Aichi, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Los Angeles, Seattle, Berlin, Seoul, and Busan raised our hand-held signs and chanted with one heart. We do so because we believe that one day, our voices will become a massive wave that will wipe out discrimination and hatred, creating a world of peace and equality. Our solidarity will become an unbreakable, solid rock that no one can stop.
To be continued in "Report on the 3rd International Solidarity Hanmadang NGO Against Discrimination of Korean Schools in Japan in Kyoto (2)."
Report on the 3rd International Solidarity Hanmadang NGO Against Discrimination of Korean Schools in Japan in Kyoto (1)
Report on the 3rd International Solidarity Hanmadang NGO Against Discrimination of Korean Schools in Kyoto (1)
From April 23 to 26, 2026, the 3rd International Solidarity Hanmadang was held in Kyoto, Japan—a true battleground of the struggle. Following the first event in Seoul and the second in Busan, this third gathering in Kyoto became larger and more fulfilling than ever before. Let us introduce those passionate three days and two nights.
The "International Solidarity Hanmadang NGO Against Discrimination of Korean Schools in Japan" is a joint event hosted annually by the International Network Standing with Korean Schools in Japan. Formed in 2024, it brings together civic organizations from the United States, Japan, Europe, Australia, and South Korea that fight together to support Korean schools in Japan and eliminate discrimination against them.
Every year, April 24 is known as the "4.24 Education Struggle Day" to commemorate the struggle of Zainichi Koreans in 1948, who resisted the forced closure of Korean schools in Japan by the Japanese government and the GHQ (General Headquarters of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers). To mark this day, activists from around the world gathered at this event to demand an end to the discrimination that persists even now, 80 years later, and to strengthen the bonds of solidarity.
This year, the event was hosted by Kkotbongori (The Buds)—officially known as the "Association for the Development of Korean Schools in Japan and Ethnic Education in Kyoto and Shiga"—a civic group supporting four Korean schools in Japan in Kyoto and Shiga prefectures. It took place across various locations in Kyoto.
For this Hanmadang event, Kkotbongori set four major goals:
Convey international voices opposing discrimination against Korean schools in Japan to Japanese society.
Deliver international solidarity and support for Korean schools in Japan to the Zainichi Korean community.
Strengthen international solidarity among NGOs supporting Korean schools in Japan.
Deepen the understanding of Korean schools in Japan and Zainichi Koreans among representatives of supporting NGOs.
<Photo 1> Members of Kkotbongori, who spent a year preparing and successfully hosting the 3rd Hanmadang event. There are many other members in addition to them.
To achieve these goals, the following events were organized:
April 23: Action to submit the "Global Citizens' Petition" to the Japanese Government
April 24: Street March through downtown Kyoto
April 25: Symposium and Cultural Performance
April 26: International Activists' Roundtable Meeting
On the 23rd, activists from all over the world submitted the signatures collected through the "Global Citizens' Petition Campaign" to the Japanese government at the House of Councillors Members' Office Building in Tokyo and held a press conference. On the 24th, the anniversary of the 4.24 Education Struggle, they gathered in front of Kyoto City Hall. They came to participate in the "Tuesday Action in Kyoto to Demand the Application of 'Free High School Education' and 'Free Early Childhood Education and Care' to Korean Schools in Japan," a campaign held monthly by the Korean residents in Kyoto.
At 6:00 PM, while the sun was still out, about 200 people gathered in front of Kyoto City Hall. This included Zainichi Korean youth preparing for the rally, students from Kyoto Korean Junior and Senior High School in Japan, activists from Japanese support groups who traveled from all over Japan, international network NGO activists, and local Zainichi Korean residents of Kyoto. It is said to be the largest turnout since the COVID-19 pandemic. The faces of the Zainichi Korean residents, shouting "Stop discrimination against Korean schools in Japan" in such numbers for the first time in a while, were glowing.
<Photo 2> <International Network> activists, Japanese support group activists, and compatriots gathered in front of Kyoto City Hall.
At the pre-march rally, a third-year student from Kyoto Korean Junior and Senior High School in Japan spoke:
"During a soccer match, someone hurled a contemptuous remark at me, saying, 'And you call yourself a Korean!' Hearing that made me feel like it would be better to just hide my true identity and live. ~ However, now that I am a senior, I regret having those thoughts. A Korean school in Japan is a place where I can exist as who I truly am, a place that taught me how to live a true human life. I realized that my duty is to oppose the unjust discrimination we face and to fight for our rights. A Korean school in Japan is not a place to hide. The struggle to reclaim our rights is a fight to find my true self."
A Japanese public school teacher also strongly criticized Japanese society, stating:
"I only painfully realized the reality of discrimination against Korean schools in Japan, to which I had previously been omitted, after visiting the school and meeting the children myself. The high school tuition waiver discrimination is being implemented even more blatantly by exploiting this indifference. Who on earth is this discrimination for? I want to join hands with everyone gathered here to change this society and stand in solidarity."
The plea of a fourth-year Japanese student from Kyoto University, who has regularly participated in the Tuesday Actions, was heartbreaking:
"While handing out flyers downtown, a Japanese citizen yelled a slur at me: 'You Koreans!' It hurt me deeply, but the reality is that those from Korean schools in Japan have to hear such words as the directly affected parties. Imagine how much more they must be hurting. There were days when not a single person would accept a flyer. We, the Japanese people who hold voting rights, must participate in politics and change this. Let us spread the word to those around us, bit by bit, within our own capacities."
<Photo 3> Lee Yong-sik, representative of the <Korean-American Our School Society Standing with>, speaking at the pre-rally.
<Photo 4> Ha Yeon-hwa and Representative Ha Sang-yoon of <'Bom' (Spring), a Civic Group Protecting Korean Schools and Children>, holding a hand-held sign that reads, "Equal right to learn for children! High school tuition waiver for Korean schools, too!"
Speaking on behalf of the international network NGO activists, Lee Yong-sik, representative of the Korean-American Society Standing with Our School, criticized the Japanese government's behavior with a passionate voice:
"Bringing politics and diplomacy into children's educational institutions to discriminate against them is unacceptable in any country. The Japanese government is doing things to Korean school children in Japan without hesitation—things that would be unimaginable in any other developed nation. They must learn to feel shame before history."
After the 30-minute pre-rally, the participants headed into downtown Kyoto holding placards and hand-held signs. They marched for about 2 kilometers from Kyoto City Hall, through the bustling shopping districts, to Maruyama Park, chanting for an end to discrimination against Korean schools in Japan.
<Photo 5> The march procession entering downtown Kyoto after the pre-rally, showing an activist from a Chosun school support civic group from Yamaguchi at the very front, followed by activists from Japanese civic groups. Out of frame at the very head of the procession, Korean school students marched.
<Photo 6> Korean school students at the front are marching together with young compatriots while playing Samulnori (traditional Korean percussion instruments).
The organizers of the Tuesday Action kindly shared the slogans to chant during the march for those of us who came from afar, even teaching us the correct pronunciation so we could join in on the final words of each phrase:
① 朝鮮高校に通う学生達に無償化を (適用せよ！) Apply the tuition waiver to students attending Korean High Schools in Japan! (Apply it! / teki yo se yo)
② 高校無償化から外国人学校を排除 (するな！) Do not exclude international schools from the high school tuition waiver! (Do not do it! / su ru na)
③ すべての子どもたちに学ぶ権利を (保障しろ！) Guarantee the right to education for all children! (Guarantee it! / hosyo shiro)
④ 国連의 差別is정勧告を (遵守せよ！) Comply with the UN recommendations to rectify discrimination! (Comply! / jyun syu se yo)
⑤ 外国人生徒たちを仲間はずれに (するな！) Do not exclude foreign students! (Do not do it! / su ru na)
When we passed through Shijo Kawaramachi, the largest bustling district in Kyoto, it was packed with crowds as it was Friday evening. Among them, tourists from abroad were particularly noticeable; many of them listened intently to our messages or took photographs. Some even waved at us. On the other hand, those leading the march had an unpleasant experience. A middle-aged Japanese man rushed toward the front of the march, brandishing the cane he was leaning on, and screamed, "Go back to Joseon (Korea)!" Our group quickly stepped in to stop him, but no police officers nearby intervened to restrain him.
Kyoto's Tuesday Action is a regular campaign carried out by Zainichi Koreans, similar to Tokyo's Friday Action and Osaka's Tuesday Protest. It is said to have already surpassed 300 iterations. I thought that because more people gathered to raise their voices together today, we might avoid such unpleasant incidents, but it seems reality cannot be helped. My heart ached when I thought of our fellow compatriots and Korean school students in Japan who have to live in a Japan where the government takes the lead in fueling xenophobia and shouting about making it a country capable of waging war.
Nevertheless, on this day, those of us gathered from Kyoto, Osaka, Tokyo, Shiga, Aichi, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Los Angeles, Seattle, Berlin, Seoul, and Busan raised our hand-held signs and chanted with one heart. We do so because we believe that one day, our voices will become a massive wave that will wipe out discrimination and hatred, creating a world of peace and equality. Our solidarity will become an unbreakable, solid rock that no one can stop.
To be continued in "Report on the 3rd International Solidarity Hanmadang NGO Against Discrimination of Korean Schools in Japan in Kyoto (2)."
Report on the 3rd International Solidarity Hanmadang NGO Against Discrimination of Korean Schools in Japan in Kyoto (1)