Japan Press Weekly

Tweet

2021 January 13 - 19 [JCP]

JCP Kasai attends New Year party of Korean Residents Union in Japan

Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Representatives Kasai Akira, along with other political party representatives, attended the New Year party held by the Korean Residents Union in Japan (Mindan) on January 12 in Tokyo.

Kasai exchanged greetings with Yuh Keun-ie, the president of the Mindan Central Headquarters, and Kim Yong Kil, the Minister & Deputy Chief of Mission at the South Korean Embassy in Japan.

The Mindan president in his speech on behalf of the organizer talked about his New Year’s resolutions for 2021 which marks the 75th anniversary of Mindan’s founding. He said that he will work to improve relations between South Korea and Japan and protect the livelihoods and rights of Korean residents in Japan.

Kasai delivered a congratulatory speech and noted that even during the pandemic, Mindan has kept working to enable Koreans in Japan to maintain their health and livelihoods. He also expressed his respect for the organization’s dedication to promoting friendly ties between Japan and South Korea.

Kasai said that the JCP in its 28th Congress held in January 2020 resolved to “create politics which not only values diversity but also respects individual dignity". He said that amid the ongoing health emergency, what is expected of politics is to support all people living in Japan, including Koreans in Japan, and to overcome this crisis without bringing about discrimination and division among the general public.

Regarding the disagreement between the two nations over historical issues, Kasai pointed to the need to improve bilateral relations as early as possible based on the principles of the Japan-Republic of Korea Joint Declaration which was signed in 1998 by then-Prime Minister Obuchi Keizo and then-President Kim Dae-jung. He referred to the remark the Mindan president made in his speech that what Koreans in Japan are hoping for the most is friendly bilateral relations. Kasai expressed his determination to jointly work with the Mindan to improve the situation.

Kasai also expressed his determination to continue working to eliminate hate speech and realize local suffrage for permanent foreign residents in Japan.