Two days after the war ended, Japanese policemen shot to death three Koreans who went to welcome the arrival of U.S. military forces in Chōshi.

[5] Although Koreans in Japan had experienced discrimination prior to World War II, they had still been Japanese citizens.

In 1947, the Alien Registration Ordinance [ja] formally stripped them of their citizenship, rendering them stateless.

According to historian Matthew R. Augustine, "Shiroto argued, ironically, that the warehouses were not designed to house people".

Part of their declaration read:[1] In close consultation with the appropriate authorities, we will maintain our friendship with the Japanese and provide stability for our fellow Korean residents, while also facilitating [safe passage for] fellow countrymen returning to Korea.The committee chose as their chairman Cho Duseong, a Korean Christian minister born in the United States and a fluent speaker of English, in order to appeal to the U.S.[8] They began organizing regional offices throughout the country.

[1] On October 2, three representatives from the preparatory committee met with Prime Minister Higashikuni to request government assistance for Koreans remaining in Japan.

Several days later, they had a meeting with U.S. occupation authorities of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (SCAP).

They requested the right to possess and operate their own ships to coordinate return trips to the peninsula.

Both organizations played only a minor role in the Korean community, but openly feuded with Chōren.

When 3,500 to 4,000 Korean conscripted laborers began rioting at the Jōban coal mines, the company asked Chōren for advice on how to proceed.

However, negotiations fell through, and unrest led to American intervention and the repatriation of Korean workers without compensation.

[12] Beginning around mid-November, Chōren began directly negotiating with the Japanese Transportation and Welfare Ministries to coordinate the return of Koreans.

[14] The quick successes of Chōren inspired the formation of similar groups for other ethnic minorities in Japan, including the Taiwanese, Chinese, and Okinawans.

[16] The organization's left-leaning tendencies and alignment with the Japanese Communist Party and North Korea drew the ire of both the U.S. and Japan, which began moving to shut down most Korean schools in the country.