The ethnic Korean who hopes to set example in Japan's RWC squad

SPOTLIGHT: Japan flyhalf Lee Seung-sin said Monday he wants to blaze a trail for his country’s ethnic Korean population by playing at this year’s Rugby World Cup.

Lee was born in Japan and is one of roughly 300 000 ethnic Koreans living there, a group that has long suffered discrimination in areas such as employment and social welfare.

Lee made his debut for Japan as a 21-year-old against Uruguay in June last year and started both home Test matches against France the following month.

Now he has his sights set on a place in head coach Jamie Joseph’s final squad for this year’s World Cup in France, and he wants to set an example for the ethnic Korean community.

“If I play at the World Cup, it will give a lot of encouragement for young kids aiming to stand on the same stage in the future,” he said after a training session with Joseph’s preliminary Japan squad.

“It will give them something to dream about, a route that they can see. By playing, I want to show people that it’s possible.”

Ethnic Koreans in Japan are mostly descendants of civilians taken from their homes during Japan’s brutal colonisation of the Korean peninsula from 1910 until Tokyo’s defeat in World War II in 1945.

The division of the Korean peninsula into North and South and the devastating 1950-53 Korean War also divided the community in Japan.

Some Koreans, like Lee, are educated at schools with backing from pro-North organisations and funding from Pyongyang.

He said representing his community was “a good motivation”.

“I want to take on that responsibility and embrace the challenge,” he said.

Test-match experience

Lee was among 36 players named in Japan’s Test squad as Joseph begins his preparations for the World Cup, which kicks off in September.

Japan, who reached the quarterfinals on home soil four years ago, have been drawn in Pool D with England, Argentina, Samoa and Chile.

Lee was one of three recognised flyhalves named in the squad, alongside Rikiya Matsuda and Junpei Ogura.

He has six international caps and said playing against France last year was “a big positive”.

“I understand what is expected of the player who wears the No.10 shirt for Japan,” said Lee, who was drafted into the starting line-up on the eve of the first Test against France when Takuya Yamasawa tested positive for Covid.

“The others have more experience than me but I want to keep learning and believe in my abilities.”

Lee said playing at the World Cup had been his dream ever since he was small.

“I have the chance to take that step and make it come true, so I want to make the most of every day and believe in myself,” he said.

“I’ll try my utmost to be picked for the World Cup squad.”