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The Japanese parliament is moving to ban hate speech against Koreans and other foreigners in the country.
The anti-hate speech bill is pending in the lower house after passing the upper house on May 13. The bill will be put to a vote this afternoon. Experts predict the bill will pass without any hiccups because it was proposed by the Liberal Democratic Party that holds the majority.
Koreans living in Japan would benefit from the legislation because they have been a frequent target of hate speech by conservative politicians and activists, especially when Seoul-Tokyo relations sour.
The bill defines hate speech as "unjust, discriminatory statements and actions involving insults or threats to injure or kill with the purpose of promoting and spreading discrimination and the exclusion of foreign residents and their children from the community," according to Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun.
But the bill does not stipulate any punishment for violators, raising questions over its effectiveness, the daily said.
