'Horoomon' shines light on century of Koreans' struggles in Japan

Director Lee Il-ha’s documentary Horoomon follows Shin Suk-ok’s seven-year legal fight against DHC Television after it aired false claims about her activism in Okinawa in 2017. Shin faced death threats and stalking, temporarily sought refuge in Germany, and won a defamation lawsuit in 2023. The film connects her activism to three generations of women’s struggles and has won awards at two documentary festivals. Horoomon opens in Korean theaters Nov. 11.

Shin was born in Tokyo in 1959 and became a prominent third-generation activist for human rights in Japan during the 1990s.

The 2023 lawsuit victory secured Shin 5.5 million yen in damages, stated as $35,000, and eventually led DHC to exit the Korean market.

The film honors Shin’s grandmother, Lee Baek-ran, who survived harsh labor at a paper mill after being sold into forced work, and her mother, Keiko, who lived without a stable home.

Horoomon won the Grand Prize at the 22nd EBS International Documentary Festival and the Audience Award at the 51st Seoul Independent Film Festival.

The documentary combines historical clips, modern dance performances and an emotional soundtrack.

Published Nov 3, 2026 5:15 pm KST

Activist Shin Suk-ok, center, in a scene from documentary "Horoomon" / Courtesy of Atnine Film

For decades, Zainichi Koreans have lived on the margins of Japanese society while facing severe discrimination and social prejudice. The group includes ethnic Koreans living in Japan who trace their roots to the 1910-45 Japanese colonial period.

Director Lee Il-ha's new documentary "Horoomon" brings this complex legacy to life through the fierce legal victory and rough journey of Shin Suk-ok, a prominent third-generation activist.

Born in Tokyo in 1959, Shin overcame extreme poverty and prejudice to build a career as a successful corporate trainer and entrepreneur.

In the 1990s, she emerged as one of the most outspoken voices for human rights in Japan, defending not only ethnic Koreans and survivors of wartime sex slavery, but also marginalized groups including refugees, people with disabilities and Indigenous minorities like the Ainu and Okinawans. She gained widespread public recognition for her sharp wit and uncompromising logic when challenging right-wing commentators on Japanese television debate shows.

The movie's title refers to horumonyaki, a Japanese grilled organ meat dish widely known to be named after the word meaning "discarded things." In the postwar era, ethnic Koreans collected slaughterhouse scraps that locals threw away to feed their families. Over time, a food born from desperate survival grew into a classic dish, symbolizing the tough spirit of the community.

The central narrative follows Shin's relentless seven-year legal fight against DHC Television. After the broadcaster aired malicious false claims in 2017 targeting her human rights activism in Okinawa, Shin faced severe death threats and stalking, forcing her to temporarily seek refuge in Germany.

Refusing to stay silent, she returned to win a landmark defamation lawsuit in 2023, securing 5.5 million yen ($35,000) in damages and eventually forcing its parent company, DHC, to exit the Korean market.

A poster for documentary "Horoomon" / Courtesy of Atnine Film

"Discrimination is used as a means to turn attention away from political and economic failures," Shin recalled during a talk after the documentary's premiere in Seoul, Tuesday. "They create discrimination to divert eyes from their own failures, and this discrimination is treated almost like entertainment."

She described the long trial as living through hell, pointing out how cruel modern media attacks can be.

"The violence of social media and new media is terribly destructive," she said. "It hurts not only me, but also the people around me. When Zainichi women speak out, racism and hatred against women come together, leading to even worse attacks."

Beyond the courtroom drama, "Horoomon" connects Shin's fight to a 100-year history spanning three generations of women.

The narrative honors her grandmother Lee Baek-ran, who survived harsh labor at a paper mill after being sold into forced work, and her mother Keiko, who lived without a stable home. Together, their shared struggle forms the emotional foundation of Shin's activism.

Director Lee brings the story to life by combining historical clips, modern dance performances and an emotional soundtrack.

The documentary has already gathered significant acclaim on the festival circuit, winning the Grand Prize at the 22nd EBS International Documentary Festival and the Audience Award at the 51st Seoul Independent Film Festival.

“Horoomon” will be released in theaters here on Nov. 11.

李日河导演的纪录片《Horoomon》讲述了申淑玉与DHC电视台长达七年的法律斗争。2017年，DHC电视台播出了关于申淑玉在冲绳维权活动的虚假报道。申淑玉因此面临死亡威胁和跟踪骚扰，一度在德国寻求庇护，并于2023年赢得了诽谤诉讼。影片将申淑玉的维权活动与三代女性的抗争联系起来，并在两个纪录片电影节上斩获殊荣。《Horoomon》将于11月11日在韩国上映。

申真一郎 1959 年出生于东京，在 20 世纪 90 年代成为日本第三代杰出的人权活动家。

2023 年的诉讼胜利为申某赢得了 550 万日元的赔偿金（约合 3.5 万美元），并最终导致 DHC 退出韩国市场。

这部电影是为了纪念申的祖母李白兰（Lee Baek-ran），她被卖到造纸厂做苦工后幸存下来；也是为了纪念她的母亲惠子（Keiko），她一直居无定所。

《Horoomon》荣获第22届EBS国际纪录片电影节大奖和第51届首尔独立电影节观众奖。

这部纪录片结合了历史片段、现代舞蹈表演和感人的配乐。

发布于2026年11月3日下午5:15（韩国标准时间）

纪录片《Horoomon》剧照，图中人物为活动家申锡玉（Shin Suk-ok，居中）/ 图片由 Atnine Film 提供

几十年来，在日朝鲜人一直生活在日本社会的边缘，面临着严重的歧视和社会偏见。这个群体包括居住在日本、祖籍可追溯至1910年至1945年日本殖民统治时期的朝鲜族人。

导演李一河的新纪录片《Horoomon》通过杰出的第三代维权人士申锡玉的艰苦法律胜利和坎坷历程，生动地展现了这段复杂的历史遗产。

Shin 于 1959 年出生于东京，克服了极度贫困和偏见，最终成为一名成功的企业培训师和企业家。

上世纪90年代，她成为日本最直言不讳的人权倡导者之一，不仅捍卫朝鲜族和战时性奴幸存者的权益，也为包括难民、残疾人士以及阿伊努族和冲绳族等原住民少数群体在内的边缘群体发声。她凭借敏锐的智慧和毫不妥协的逻辑，在电视辩论节目中挑战右翼评论员，赢得了广泛的公众认可。

电影的片名指的是“horumonyaki”，这是一种日式烤内脏料理，其名称源于日语中“废弃物”一词。战后时期，朝鲜族人收集当地人丢弃的屠宰场残羹剩饭来养家糊口。随着时间的推移，这种源于绝望求生的食物逐渐演变成一道经典菜肴，象征着朝鲜族人坚韧不拔的精神。

故事的核心是申智英与DHC电视台长达七年的艰苦法律斗争。2017年，DHC电视台恶意散布虚假信息，攻击申智英在冲绳的人权活动，此后她遭受严重的死亡威胁和跟踪骚扰，被迫暂时逃往德国避难。

她拒绝保持沉默，于 2023 年赢得了一场具有里程碑意义的诽谤诉讼，获得了 550 万日元（35,000 美元）的赔偿，并最终迫使其母公司 DHC 退出韩国市场。

纪录片《Horoomon》海报 / 由 Atnine Films 提供

“歧视被用来转移人们对政治和经济失败的注意力，”申在周二首尔纪录片首映后的一次谈话中回忆道。“他们制造歧视来转移人们对自身失败的注意力，而这种歧视几乎被当作一种娱乐。”

她将漫长的审判过程形容为身处地狱，并指出现代媒体的攻击是多么残酷。

“社交媒体和新媒体的暴力极具破坏性，”她说。“它不仅伤害了我，也伤害了我身边的人。当在日女性发声时，种族主义和对女性的仇恨就会交织在一起，导致更严重的袭击。”

除了法庭上的戏剧性场面，《Horoomon》还将申的抗争与跨越三代女性的百年历史联系起来。

这篇叙述缅怀了她的祖母李白兰（Lee Baek-ran），她曾被卖到造纸厂做苦工，饱受折磨；也缅怀了她的母亲惠子（Keiko），她一生居无定所。她们共同的苦难经历构成了申的行动主义的情感基石。

李导演通过结合历史片段、现代舞蹈表演和感人的配乐，将故事生动地呈现出来。

该纪录片已在电影节巡回展映中获得了广泛赞誉，荣获第22届EBS国际纪录片电影节大奖和第51届首尔独立电影节观众奖。

《Horoomon》将于11月11日在本地影院上映。