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Life Onboard |
LAST UPDATE
November 8, 2005
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| October 18, 2005 |
Juggling entertainment and discrimination issues – Kim Choang Hen |
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| Entertainer Kim Choang Hen. (Photo: Chris Wong) |
Not many people can claim to have won a worldwide competition. Twenty year old Kim Choang Hen has achieved just that - twice in fact, and starting at the age of 14. The 2000 and 2004 Worldwide Entertainer of the Year came onboard Peace Boat between Mombasa and Las Palmas to wow participants with his incredible juggling and break dance skills, and also to speak out about growing up in Japan as a 'Zainichi' or a person of Korean descent living in Japan. |
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| Kim juggles hats around his body as part of his 'Panic Art' performance for Peace Boat participants. Panic Art is Kim's trademark performance, combining break-dancing and mime with an array of juggling techniques. |
Kim discovered his passion somewhat accidentally, when he passed a juggling shop as a junior high school student. He noticed a video of juggling tricks titled "Things You Can't Do" and, intrigued, asked his mother to buy it for him.
Since Kim first tried juggling and break dancing, he has barely stopped, sometimes training for 12 hours a day. "At school I practiced in any way I could, like by walking with weights in my shoes, running with tires behind me, and putting weights in my school desk and lifting it with my legs in the back row during class. I would always get in trouble with my teachers," he said. |
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| Kim held many workshops onboard, teaching his methods to eager participants. (Photo: Chris Wong) |
Kim feels that his motivation to work tirelessly to be the best stems from the words of his Great Grandmother. "When I was very young my Great Grandmother told me that I would face discrimination for being Zainichi Korean. But instead of fighting or complaining about it, she told me to become the best at something, and then people would eventually listen to what I had to say," he said.
With the gold medals to prove he is indeed the best at something, Kim talked to Peace Boat participants about the discrimination he has faced growing up as a Zainichi Korean in Japan. "Some people may think it [discrimination] doesn't happen nowadays, but it still does," he said.
There are approximately 600,000 Zainichi Koreans now living in Japan. Many, like Kim, are fourth generation Korean, meaning that their ancestors immigrated, or were forcibly relocated to Japan and were made to work in dangerous jobs. Discrimination by Japanese against Zainichi Koreans has been widespread in the past and can arguably still be felt today, particularly at times of political tension between Japan and Korea.
Kim grew up in an area heavily populated with Zainichi Koreans. Japanese and Zainichi Korean children fought constantly, he said. Despite living in a Korean area, Kim attended Japanese schools instead of special schools for Koreans, as his mother wanted him to be exposed to the Japanese way of thinking.
In an effort to fit in, he used his Japanese name when he was a school student, but over time his classmates discovered he was Korean. "There was an issue in the news relating to Korea when I was young, and I was beaten by a classmate because of it. It was then that I remembered something else my Great Grandmother said to me: don't fight back (physically). I knew then that once I became the best at something, I could use words to fight discrimination," he said. |
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| Kim impresses with his amazing balancing ability. |
Even after he claimed his first World Entertainment title at the age of 14, Kim says the Japanese media showed little interest in him, with only one local newspaper reporting his victory. He believes this was because he used his Korean name, and wasn't seen as 'Japanese'. "Because of my name, the Japanese media didn't care. People said I couldn't appear on TV commercials if I wanted to use my real name," Kim said.
However, as his reputation as one of the world's top entertainers grows, change is taking place in Japan. "I have started appearing in Kyoto newspapers, but it has taken eight years," he said. As Kim sets his sights on the 2008 Worldwide Competition, he hopes that more and more people will enjoy his lively performances, as well as listen to his views of discrimination against Zainichi Koreans in Japan. |
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