"Five Lawsuits Claiming 'Unfair Exclusion of Joseon Schools from Japan's Free High School Tuition' Lose in Second Trial"

[Asia Economy Reporter Bu Aeri] The operating corporation of Korean schools affiliated with the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon) and its graduates lost all five appeals demanding correction against the Japanese government's exclusion of Korean schools from the 'High School Tuition Waiver' program, claiming it was discriminatory.

According to Kyodo News, on the 30th, the Fukuoka High Court ruled against 68 students of Kyushu Korean Junior and Senior High School in a lawsuit demanding the cancellation of the exclusion of Korean schools from the tuition waiver program and approximately 7.5 million yen (about 81 million KRW) in damages from the state.

This ruling resulted in the plaintiffs losing in the second trials of the same lawsuits filed in five locations across Japan.

Presiding Judge Yao Wataru of the Fukuoka High Court stated, based on the Public Security Intelligence Agency's investigation results, that "there is reasonable suspicion that Korean schools are under the improper control of Chongryon," and added that "the Japanese government's exclusion of these schools from the waiver program cannot be seen as an abuse or deviation of discretion."

Japan's high school tuition waiver policy was introduced in April 2010 during the former Democratic Party administration.

Initially, Korean school students were eligible for the program, but in November 2010, following North Korea's Yeonpyeong Island shelling incident, then-Prime Minister Naoto Kan suspended the application of the program to Korean schools.

Subsequently, in February 2013, after the launch of the second Shinzo Abe administration, a Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology ordinance was finalized excluding Korean schools from the support program.

In response, Korean schools filed lawsuits in five locations across Japan, including Tokyo, Nagoya (Aichi Prefecture), Osaka, Hiroshima, and Fukuoka.

After the appeal dismissal ruling, the plaintiffs protested near the court holding placards with the phrase "Unfair Judgment."

The legal team criticized the ruling as a "shameful decision pandering to power," according to Kyodo News.