재일본 대한민국민단의 과제 및 해결방향

Abstract

This paper deals with the problems and possible solutions of Mindan, Korean Residents' Union in Japan. Korean residents society in Japan is now in a crisis: identity crisis; numeric increase of residents abandoning Korean citizenship to get the Japanese one. Some even argue that Korean residents society in Japan will disappear sooner or later. To cope with the situation, Mindan should be changed. New ideas and structure suitable to the globalization era should be adopted which will embrace new residents who have come to Japan after the Korea-Japan Treaty in 1965 and those who have got the Japanese citizenship as well as current members. The attitudes of Korean government should also be changed. Emphasizing on inculcating Korean identity and giving patriotic education to Korean residents is no longer good. The tendency of it to blame the Japanese government on the problems of Korean residents society and not to take any responsibility for it is also no longer desirable. Both the Korean government and various residents' associations including Mindan should cooperate to find out a new model. Above all, multi-dimensional identity education should be given to younger generations purposing both to help them enter and grow in the mainstream of Japanese society and keep the blood ties an! d cultural identity as Koreans designed to change them into part of human resources in the worldwide Korean residents network. It is also necessary to develop a new policy supporting those who have already got Japanese citizenship to make them pro-Korean Japanese.