Korean Daily Newspaper ‘The Hankyoreh’ Reports on Disability Activist’s Deportation from Japan

By Barrier Free Japan

November 27 2024

Seoul – The Korean daily newspaper ‘The Hankyoreh’ – ‘The Korean People’ – reported on November 25th about disability activist Park Kyung-Seok being deported from Japan at Narita Airport.

Go Na-rin writing for the ‘Hankyoreh’, reported on the 25th that Park Kyung-seok, the leader of the Korean Disabled People’s Solidarity Against Discrimination (Jeonjangyeon) held a press conference in front of the Japanese Embassy in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Park displayed documents related to Japan’s “Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act,” which were cited by Japanese immigration officials when denying his entry.

Park stated, “The immigration officer had all the materials about me, from composite sketches to the latest news articles.”

Park Kyung-seok was denied entry into Japan on November 22nd while attempting to engage in international solidarity activities with organizations advocating for the rights of disabled individuals. Holding up the documents presented by Japanese officials, he criticized the decision. Jeonjangyeon and human rights organizations argued that Japan’s refusal to allow Park entry due to past punishments he received for human rights activism constitutes a clear violation of international human rights norms.

On November 25th, Jeonjangyeon and the Korean branch of Amnesty International held a press conference in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, condemning the decision as “discriminatory and unjust measures targeting a disability rights activist.”

Previously, Park had been invited by the Japan branch of Amnesty International to carry out activities related to disability rights. However, upon arriving at Narita Airport in Tokyo on November 22, he was informed of his denial of entry and was sent back to South Korea. Japanese authorities cited Park’s suspended prison sentence in 2012 for violating the “Assembly and Demonstration Act” as grounds for the decision. Under Japanese law, individuals sentenced to one year or more of imprisonment or similar penalties may be denied entry, although exceptions are allowed for political offenses.