Pachinko king`s donation

On a TV screen showing figure skater Kim Yuna in an international competition, an ad signboard with "Maruhan" is a perennial attention grabber. This is an ad by Japan`s largest maker of pachinko, or Japanese-style pinball. The company is owned by Han Chang-woo, 81, an ethnic Korean businessman living in Japan. With assets valued at 132 billion yen (169 billion U.S. dollars), Han is Japan`s 22nd richest person. Earning such great wealth in the maligned pachinko business, he is a major donor to culture and education. He donated 5 billion won (4.49 million dollars) to Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, to give scholarships to students from low-income families. Arriving in Japan in 1945 as a stowaway at age 15, all he had was an English-Japanese dictionary and less than a gallon of rice. He wanted to study to succeed in Japan but could not find a job after graduating from college. Finally, he started working at a pachinko parlor run by a relative. Han eventually turned into a giant in the pachinko industry under "Maruhanism," his management philosophy of cultivation of staff and honesty.

When Maruhan tried to hire new recruits with university diplomas in 1992, it had just four applicants. To overcome the situation, he instilled in his employees the notion that Maruhan is an entertainment company, not a gambling business. He proved that his company was doing business legally by ensuring that its daily revenues were automatically transferred to tax authorities. Through such efforts, he attracted graduates from Japan`s top universities join the company. "To get ahead of the Japanese people, you have to work twice as hard and honestly as they do,” he said. He recently announced that he will donate his entire fortune to the cause of Korea-Japan friendship.

Many ethnic Koreans in Japan did not get fair treatment from either Korea or Japan. Han plunged into the pachinko business because he could not find work as a Korean in Japan and lacked other options to make money. Korea was no comfortable place for ethnic Korean residents in Japan, either. His planned donation of his entire assets to both countries is welcome but the status of ethnic Koreans in Japan remains worrisome. It is hoped Han`s act of charity provides an opportunity for the two countries to pay more attention to the ethnic Korean community in Japan.

Editorial Writer Hong Chan-sik (chansik@donga.com)