DPRK Education Commission Slams Japanese Reactionaries' Crackdown upon Chongryon

Pyongyang, September 22 (KCNA) -- The DPRK Education Commission issued a statement on Friday as regards the fact that the Japanese reactionaries have become undisguised in their vicious politically-motivated crackdown upon the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon) and Koreans in Japan and their inhuman act.

The statement said:

The Tokyo District Court on Sept. 13 made a decision to unilaterally turn down the demand of Chongryon and Koreans in Japan for application of the tuition-free program to students of the Korean middle and high school in Tokyo.

What merits more serious attention is that this unjust and outrageous decision was made under the manipulation of the Japanese government.

In recent years, the Japanese authorities issued orders that local self-governing bodies should exclude Korean schools from the objects of applying tuition-free program. When the Osaka District Court issued judgment favorable to the Korean schools far from their stand in July, they betrayed their narrow intention to put pressure upon the judge who gave a decision in favor of the Korean schools.

Not content with this, they have got hell-bent on the malignant slander against the DPRK, Chongryon and national education through IT means including websites, intentionally building public opinion against application of the tuition-free program to Korean schools.

The DPRK Education Commission brands the illegal fascist action committed by the Japanese reactionaries as vicious hostility to trample down the rights of democratic national education of the Koreans in Japan and stifle Chongryon, a dignified overseas citizen organization of the DPRK, the statement said, adding:

The Koreans in Japan are descendants of those who were forcibly dragged to Japan by the Japanese imperialists and the Korean schools in which their descendants study are the legitimate national educational organs recognized by the Japanese authorities.

This being a hard reality, the Japanese reactionaries have refused to apply the tuition-free program for high schools upon Korean schools among foreign schools. This is a revelation of deep-rooted sinister intention to frustrate the national education of the Koreans in Japan and a hysteric action of those who become displeased with the inexhaustible might of the DPRK making long strides under the banner of Songun.

They, taken aback by the fact that the DPRK is advancing toward the terminal of accomplishing the state nuclear force despite the heinous sanctions and blockade of the U.S. and its vassal forces, are now making desperate efforts to crack down upon Chongryon and Koreans in Japan.

They should stop at once discriminating the national education of Koreans in Japan and take full responsibility for all consequences arising therefrom. -0-