Korean Attacks Missile Protestor

A storm has erupted after video of a Japan-resident Korean attacking a Japanese protestor was posted online.

The protest was criticising North Korea’s missile test diplomacy and the role Japan’s Korean population has in supporting the North Korean regime.

The van and accompanying right-wing orator are complaining about North Korea’s latest efforts to intimidate Japan by firing missiles over its territory; in this case the missile did not fall onto Japanese territory, but alarm at nearly nuclear armed North Korea and its ongoing missile program is growing in Japan.

He also highlights the role of Zainichi Koreans (Japan’s largest ethnic minority, most of whom now have Japanese citizenship, but who still face discrimination in some cases) in supporting the North Korean regime through organised crime.

He makes particular reference to the widely known Korean dominance of pachinko parlours (90% of these establishments are said to be owned by Koreans, with half of those operated by supporters of North Korea), which supports Pyongyang with billions of yen in remittances.

However, right wing groups in Japan are themselves known to have shady connections, although the details of this protestor’s ties are not known.

After finishing his speech, he was approached by a youth of Korean descent, who objected to his complaints about the missiles.

Prior to the altercation the exchange between the Korean (who is speaking Osaka accented Japanese) and the orator runs as follows:

Zainichi: Come on and say that to my face.
Orator: As I was saying, Korea-
Zainichi: Your breath stinks, shut up.
Orator: What? Then you shut up. Don’t come over here and talk to me.
Zainichi: It stinks, shut the hell up!
Orator: Typical Korean tactic. What’s wrong with you?
Zainichi: What the-, Korean?
Orator: What the hell is the wrong with you!?
Zainichi: Don’t underestimate Koreans!
Orator: You’re disgusting. Stay away from me. Don’t talk to me. Just what is it you want to say?
Zainichi: You just insulted Koreans didn’t you!?
Orator: Because I hate Koreans. I hate them. Really hate them. Completely hate them. So I want to see them driven out of Japan. Ok? Trash. Korean-
Zainichi: I’ll kill you! (knockdown attack) You bastard! Trash, you say?!
Orator: Violence is wrong, wrong. I’m being attacked… Ow ow ow…
Zainichi: What!? Mess with Korea and we’ll kill you!
Orator: Stop this violence…

Police quickly subdued the man and the orator was able to gleefully resume protesting, now highlighting the wicked ways of Koreans with the incident firmly in hand.

The orator appears to have been delighted with the attention and probably realised this sort of conduct represents a substantial publicity coup.

As with so many Korean patriots, behaving credibly when confronted with national criticism proved problematic for the man concerned, although clearly the orator was not afraid of provoking the Korean further.

The media and commenters are generally keen to highlight this violent and illegal behaviour from the Zainichi Korean, without too much concern given to the problematic nature of generalising all Koreans from a single Osaka thug, although in fairness such behaviour is far from isolated.

Any element of provocation on the part of the orator also appears to be overlooked, although he was certainly well within his rights to express himself freely in that fashion.

It seems Koreans are generally their own worst enemy when it comes to making Korea look bad…