Yuriko Koike's election as Tokyo governor could complicate already strained Japan-South Korea ties if she follows through with her promise to kill the metropolitan government's plan to lease a property in Shinjuku Ward to be used as a new Korean school.
Officials of Korean community groups in Tokyo expressed hope Monday that the plan will survive despite her overwhelming win in Sunday's race. They said Korean residents desperately need a second school in Tokyo as the existing one — also in Shinjuku Ward — has reached its capacity and has a long waiting list.
"We've been looking for a site for a new school for years, but it was really hard to find a good property," said Jeong Yong-soo, secretary-general of the Federation of Korean Associations, Japan. "The Shinjuku site is ideal, as it is close to the other Korean school, and because a lot of Koreans live in the ward."