Korean-Japanese lawyer faces double discrimination amid hate speech surge

Kim Young-gong, a lawyer of Korean descent, is facing a "double discrimination" from Japanese right-wing groups. While defending Kurdish residents in Warabi City, Saitama Prefecture, against racial discrimination, Kim himself has become a target of hate speech. He notes that even though Japanese lawyers are part of the defense team, the right-wing groups specifically target him due to his minority status and his background at a Korean school in Japan.

"This is double discrimination against a minority defending a minority, and 'discrimination against related parties,'" Kim stated. The harassment began in November 2024 after the "Japan Kurdish Cultural Association," composed of Kurdish residents in Japan, filed a preliminary injunction against right-wing demonstrations near their office. When the court granted the injunction, the right-wing groups shifted their focus to Kim, falsely accusing him of "defending Kurds and ostracizing Japanese people" while posting his photo online. They also bombarded his law office with angry phone calls and left negative reviews online.

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This is double discrimination against a minority defending a minority, and 'discrimination against related parties.'

Kim recently filed a defamation lawsuit against a netizen who repeatedly posted slanderous comments, seeking 7.2 million yen (approximately $46,000 USD) in damages. In his court statement, he argued that hate speech damages individual dignity and creates a chilling effect on other vulnerable groups, making it harder for them to speak out. He decided to open his law office in his hometown, Warabi, influenced by his personal experiences as a Zainichi Korean who attended a Korean school. He wanted to be a reliable support for the many foreign residents in the area facing difficulties.

Journalist Yoichi Sugimoto, who has been tracking hate speech and discrimination in Japan, told The Hankyoreh that while the "Act on the Elimination of Unjust Discriminatory Speech and Behavior Against Persons Who Are Not Japanese Nationals" (Hate Speech Elimination Act) acknowledges hate speech as harmful, stronger legal measures are needed to actually punish such acts. The law, enacted 10 years ago, is largely declarative and lacks enforcement mechanisms, leading to persistent criticism about its ineffectiveness. Despite the law, the number of human rights violation cases related to hate speech and discrimination against foreigners reported to the Japanese Ministry of Justice has remained around 100 annually in recent years, with 70 cases reported in the last year alone. This figure, however, only accounts for cases officially filed and processed, leaving the reality of pervasive daily hate speech largely unrecorded.

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Hate speech damages individual dignity and creates a chilling effect on other vulnerable groups, making it harder for them to speak out.