Meaning of Zainichi | Babel Free

Definitions

A long-term Korean resident of Japan whose ancestry dates to Korea under Japanese rule.

Examples

“Hwang is a member of the ethnic Korean community known in Japanese as the Zainichi. Their families came here when the Korean peninsula was a Japanese colony from 1910 until 1945. They number around 600,000 and have opted not to take Japanese citizenship. Political split And just like their ancestral homeland, the Zainichi are split along political lines. Bae Chul Eun is a public relations officer at Mindan, an organization that represents the majority of Zainichi -- who hold South Korean citizenship.”

“Beginning in the late 1950s, Japan offered to help repatriate the Zainichi, many of whom were attracted to North Korea’s socialist promises and an economy then larger than the South’s. Nearly 100,000 people moved, including Mr. Oshima’s parents and siblings.”

CEFR level