Japanese Language School Instructor in Japan Tells Korean Student, "You Eat Japanese Money... Go Home If You Get Sick"

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Jo] A language school instructor in Japan is being criticized for reportedly telling a Korean international student that receiving medical treatment due to illness is a burden on Japan and implying that the student should return to their home country.

According to Yonhap News on the 20th, a petition has been posted on the petition site Change.org demanding the dismissal of an instructor at Tokyo International Japanese Language School located in Shinjuku, Tokyo, and measures to prevent recurrence. The instructor allegedly told an international student with a mental illness in January last year that attending a Japanese hospital is a nuisance and that if the student is sick, they should return to their home country.

The instructor said to the student that there are many "bad people" who come to Japan seeking medical services and said, "If you are sick, please go back to your home country." He mentioned that foreigners using student visas to access medical services in Japan is becoming a social problem and said, "Aren't they sucking up Japan's money and taxes?"

The petitioner pointed out, "The instructor denied the student's explanation that 'regular hospital visits are necessary,' showed prejudice, and unilaterally harassed the student," adding, "Denying the student's right to learn due to a disability and urging foreigners to return home if they want to receive medical services is clear discrimination against people with disabilities and foreigners."

An audio file recording the statements mentioned in the petition has been posted on a separate site linked via the URL.

On the same day, Kyodo News reported that a Korean female student who graduated from high school in Korea and came to Japan to study in September 2018 heard the problematic remarks from a female instructor. According to the report, the student experienced this after seeking understanding about her chronic illness. The student was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at a Japanese medical institution in February last year and submitted the medical certificate to the language school.

Yonhap News reported, "When contacted to verify the facts and hear the school's position on the incident, the language school responded that 'the person in charge is absent.'"