Present there were Ho Jong Man, chairman of the Central Standing Committee of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon), Pak Ku Ho, vice-chairman of its Central Standing Committee, Kang Chu Ryon, vice-chairwoman of its Central Standing Committee and chairwoman of the Central Standing Committee of the Korean Democratic Women's Union in Japan, O Min Hak, director of the Economy Department of the Chongryon Central Standing Committee, Kim Thae Ryong, chairman of the Central Standing Management Board of the Korean Youth Commercial Association in Japan, leading officials of organizations and enterprises of Chongryon, Ri Kwang Sang, chairman of the Nagano Prefectural Headquarters of Chongryon, and other chairmen of headquarters, officers and members of the Korean youth commercial associations across Japan, principals of Korean schools in Japan, Korean compatriots and students in Japan and officials of several organizations of Japan including the Nagano Prefec

tural People's Council for Supporting the Independent and Peaceful Reunification of Korea, more than 2 000 in all.

Screened at the forum were videos showing the activities of the preceding generation who defended and developed national education and the life of students.

The forum set forth the tasks facing the Korean Youth Commercial Association in Japan to defend and glorify the tradition of national education and ways to do so.

Introduced there were activities for national education conducted by the Korean Youth Commercial Association in Nagano Prefecture.

The participants vowed to contribute to developing the Korean community in Japan and national education.

Chon Yong Min, chairman of the Korean Youth Commercial Association in Nagano Prefecture, in a speech underscored the need to defend Korean schools at any cost, calling upon the association to become the main player and defend and glorify the tradition of national education as required by the new era.

Ho Jong Man said that the association should preserve and develop national education in the future, too.