"South Korea, a Country Without Loyalty"... 'Baseball Legend' Jang Hoon Naturalizes in Japan

Expressing Heartfelt Sorrow in Interview with Japanese Media

Jang Hoon (Japanese name: Harimoto Isao, 84), a second-generation Korean-Japanese and a legend of Japanese professional baseball, has revealed that he has naturalized as a Japanese citizen.

On the 29th (local time), Jang Hoon stated in an interview with the Japanese media Sankei Shimbun, "This is the first time I am saying this," and added, "I have naturalized as a Japanese citizen. I changed my nationality a few years ago, and now I am Japanese."

Jang Hoon, who attended as the ceremonial first pitcher at the baseball game held last June at Tokyo Dome, Japan. Photo by Nippon TV YouTube capture

Jang Hoon was born in 1940 in Hiroshima, Japan. He is the only player in Japanese professional baseball history to have recorded 3,000 hits in total. Although he had been offered naturalization several times in the past, he had always maintained his Korean nationality. It is said that this decision honored his mother, who, as a Korean, never learned Japanese and only looked forward to the moment of returning to Korea.

In a 2018 interview with the Chosun Ilbo, he also expressed his affection for Korea. When asked, "What does Korea mean to you?" Jang Hoon said, "When I arrived at the airport to participate in the Korea-Japan friendly high school baseball game, people were singing Arirang, and it touched my heart," adding, "I take pride in my homeland. Nationality can be changed with a piece of paper, but the blood of ethnicity cannot be changed," emphasizing this repeatedly.

What prompted Jang Hoon to suddenly decide to naturalize? He told Sankei, "At one time, a certain regime in Korea showed a dismissive attitude toward Korean residents in Japan," and criticized, "They dismissed them as people who went there by choice or said they are doing well in another country. That is nonsense." He lamented, "I did not come here because I wanted to. I was drafted or came because I had nothing to eat."

He added, "Nationality can be reverted back to the original. Of course, I inherited my parents' blood and live with pride as a Korean resident in Japan."

In the interview, Jang Hoon also expressed feelings of grievance toward the Korean baseball community. He said, "I have served as a bridge between Korea and Japan over many years," but revealed, "A few years ago, an official came to commend me for my contributions to the development of Korean baseball, but I declined."

Jang Hoon stated, "I worked as a special advisor to the KBO president for over 20 years and helped establish the professional league. However, I have never been invited to events like the Korean Series or the All-Star Game," and criticized, "That is the bad side of that country. They forget both favors and loyalty."