在日コリアンと韓国国政参政権―権利主体という新たな属性の発生―

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to discuss impacts of South Korea’s suffrage on Korean descendants in Japan. For Koreans in Japan, this rights obtained in 2007 has imposed a paradigm shift on their identities. The reasons are as follows. First, Koreans in Japan had not had any political rights neither in Korea nor in Japan. Second, South Korea's suffrage has endowed them a right to reveal their opinions toward Korean society. Third, Korean descendents in Japan must be conscious of consistency between their demands revealed in Korea and those in Japan. Fourth, they will gain opportunities to reflect how their legal and social status in Korea are. The Korean descendants' participations in South Korean politics mean that they have voluntary wills to involve in Korean society. In order for them to do so, it becomes necessary to understand how Korean society works. At the same time, it becomes inevitable for them to be conscious of their multiple attributes; ie, overseas residents and members of global Korean network as well as minorities of Japanese society. Findings of their participations in the election for members of South Korea’s nineteenth National Diet are as follows. First, the Korean descendents actively participated in South Korean politics in comparison with the other overseas residents, namely those in the US. Second, realities of the Koreans in Japan are virtually invisible in South Korean society. Their identities are simply perceived as either pro South or pro North although the largest population belongs neither. Third, they have started revealing their opinions on Korean administrative deeds. In doing such, their principle relying on is human rights on which they rely in Japan, as well. Fourth, South Korea's suffrage gives them human dignity. This can be found solely in Japan because they had possessed no political rights until 2007.