The Kinkiro Incident - Between the Press and Discrimination, February 1968

The Kinkiro Incident - Between the Press and Discrimination, February 1968

On February 20, 1968, a Korean resident of Japan, Kinkiro Kim, holed up with a hunting rifle in his hand and took hostages at Fujimiya, a hot spring inn in Sunmatakyo, Shizuoka Prefecture. This incident was not just a crime, but a mirror that illuminated the depths of postwar Japanese society. Kim was wanted for robbery and assault, but just before he was caught, he claimed that he was treated unfairly because he was a Korean, and called in the press to denounce discrimination and social injustice. Television and newspapers gathered in front of the inn, press conferences were held daily, and the incident was broadcast live nationwide. This was the moment in postwar Japan when the perpetrators of the crime denounced society in their own words, creating an unprecedented composition of events.

At the time, Japan was in the midst of its rapid economic growth, and discrimination against zainichi Koreans remained deep-rooted in the shadow of affluence. Although the economy recovered after a period of postwar turmoil, memories of colonial rule and ethnic prejudice remained at the bottom of the social fabric. Kim Gyeong-ro's "confession" shocked many people by breaking the silence. Although the media reported him as a "crazy hostage taker," many people expressed sympathy for his appeal. The police eventually moved in and, after eight tense days, the incident came to an end, but it later sparked criticism that the media had inflamed the incident and provoked a debate about the media's role in it.

This incident led the police to establish a unit specializing in anti-terrorism and sniping, such as the "Fifle Firing Squad," which later led to the institutionalization of the response to holocomings and terrorist attacks. At the same time, Kim's comments also influenced writers and filmmakers, such as Mitsuharu Inoue and Satsuo Yamamoto, who portrayed the zainichi issue head-on. In other words, this incident was more than just a heinous crime; it marked an "unspoken discrimination" and a "turning point in the ethics of reporting" in postwar Japan.

After the incident, Kim Hyeon-ro was released from prison after serving his time, but he continued to speak out about the contradictions in zainichi society until his later years. His existence embodied the complex position of being both perpetrator and victim at the same time. His cries can be said to have made visible the "invisible border" hidden behind the postwar prosperity. The Kinkurero case is still talked about today as a "test of Showa-era conscience" that continues to question the relationship between law and justice, discrimination and the press, and violence and society.