Many were confused by DPRK football team’s powerhouse patriotic tears during the North’s national anthem at this year’s world cup. After all, this footballer is Japanese born and has never even been to the North, so what’s the story here? Reporter Mark Willacy has a fascinating piece about the Chongryon, or “General Association of Korean Residents in Japan”, which is a school/embassy type of organization for North Koreans (or of that descent) living in Japan. Before WWII, Japan had annexed the Korean peninsula and brought many Koreans to do slave labour in Japan. These Zainichi are the people and descendents of those displaced people. The article explains the “brain-washing” applied to these Koreans living in Japan, and that the tears of Jong Tae Se were genuine pride for his people and fatherland.
Source: ABC News (Australia)
