"세금 안 내면 영주권 취소"...규제 강화하는 일본 / YTN

[Anchor] As the Japanese government tightens its grip by strengthening regulations on foreigners, the Korean expatriate community is growing anxious. Starting next year, a law will be implemented that allows for the revocation of permanent residency simply for failing to pay taxes and insurance premiums, leading to strong voices claiming this constitutes a human rights violation. Correspondent Lee Seung-bae reports from Tokyo. [Reporter] This is Shin-Okubo, known as the "number one hub of the Korean Wave" in Tokyo. Park Geum-hwa has run a small video rental store for 30 years. If she cannot immediately raise over 200 million won, she faces the prospect of being expelled from Japan. This is because the Japanese government has suddenly raised the capital requirement for foreign business visas by six times. [Park Geum-hwa / Merchant in Shin-Okubo, Tokyo: It is not a small amount of money for small business owners like us. It is essentially telling us to close down and leave if we do not have the financial capacity to do so.] And that is not all. The government has tightened requirements, mandating the placement of full-time staff and restricting part-time hiring to those with intermediate to advanced Japanese proficiency. For merchants who have run small businesses with just spouses or families to save on labor costs, this is tantamount to being told to close their doors. [Park Sung-kook / Merchant in Shin-Okubo, Tokyo: We worked really hard and paid our taxes diligently, but suddenly they are telling us to change things like this. It is absurd...] The Japanese government has gone a step further and even targeted permanent residency. They have drastically strengthened the Immigration Control Act and other laws to allow for the cancellation of permanent residency simply for failing to pay taxes and insurance premiums; these measures are scheduled to take effect next year. As the sense of crisis grew, hundreds of Korean residents across Japan gathered at the National Assembly to denounce the Japanese government. Claiming that their livelihoods are being shaken by a series of foreigner-restricting policies, they urged the government to guarantee the right of foreign residents to live in stable conditions. [Kim Yi-joong / Head of the Central Headquarters of the Korean Residents Association in Japan: (23rd) "We demand understanding, not division; coexistence, not exclusion. I am convinced that a society where everyone's dignity is protected is the future that Japanese society should aspire to."] Japanese political circles have also expressed support, acknowledging the shared concerns. [Makiko Kishi / Member of the House of Councillors, Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan: (23rd) "I feel that we need to properly investigate exactly how hate speech, harassment, and bullying—similar to ostracism among children—are taking place, and that policies to stop them are needed right now."] As the atmosphere between the two countries is good enough for the leaders of Korea and Japan to engage in "hometown diplomacy," Korean residents in Japan hope that our government will take a more active role in the visa and permanent residency issues, which are crucial for the survival of their families. This is Lee Seung-bae from YTN in Tokyo. Video Editing: Saito YTN Lee Seung-bae ([email protected]) ※ 'Your Tip Becomes News' [KakaoTalk] Search for YTN and add the channel [Phone] 02-398-8585 [Email] [email protected] ▶ Original Article: https://www.ytn.co.kr/_ln/0104_202606... ▶ Send a Tip: https://mj.ytn.co.kr/mj/mj_write.php ▣ Subscribe to YTN YouTube Channel: http://goo.gl/Ytb5SZ ⓒ YTN Unauthorized reproduction, redistribution, and use of AI data are prohibited.