Changes in the Socio-economic Position of Zainichi Koreans: A Historical Overview

This article provides a historical overview of the changes in the socio-economic position of the Korean minority in Japan (zainichi Koreans). It first examines the general situation of zainichi Koreans and then traces the changes in their socio-economic position from the colonial period to the present. In doing so, this article reveals that the socio-economic gap between zainichi Koreans and the majority Japanese population has decreased significantly in recent years with the improvement of Koreans' overall socio-economic position, while the gap among zainichi Koreans has increased.