Japanese-born wives in N Korea return home after 40 years

These women are mostly Korean, born in Japan during or before World War II when they were Japanese citizens since Korea at the time was regarded as part of Japan after being annexed in 1910.

When Japan was defeated in 1945, Korea became independent as well as divided, the Japanese government ceased to recognize the Koreans as Japanese even if they were born in Japan. Besides, if the Koreans left Japan and went to North Korea, which became communist, they were not allowed to return to Japan and resume their residence as before.

But some of the wives who left with their Korean husbands for North Korea were Japanese citizens at the time of their departure. They later acquired North Korean citizenship.

For years Japan has been pressing Pyongyang to allow these wives to come to Japan and visit their parents and relatives in a humanitarian gesture, while Pyongyang branded it as something Tokyo has developed into a human rights issue to embarrass North Korea.

But a lingering famine and acute shortages and North Korea’s consequent dependence on generous food aid from Japan, a major donor, softened Pyongyang’s attitude towards the issue.

It agreed to send the first batch of Japan-born wives escorted by North Korean Red Cross in collaboration with the Red Cross in Japan.

Japan started repatriating Koreans to either North or South Korea on a voluntary basis in 1959. Those who went to South Korea and acquired South Korean citizenship have no problem visiting Japan, but those who left for North Korea with which Japan has no diplomatic relationship have problems.

But Japan is not averse to Japanese citizens married to North Koreans coming to Japan on visit.

There are seven hundred thousand Koreans in Japan with permanent residence visa. None are Japanese citizens. Even if they are here for generations they are treated as foreigners and finger-printed, not entitled to public sector jobs or voting rights even at local levels.

But the visit of fifteen ladies from North Korea is big news occupying most of media attention the past two days.