The Osaka High Court on Wednesday upheld a lower court decision rejecting demands by 43 Koreans with permanent resident status that long-term foreign residents be granted the right to vote and run in local elections.

In May 1997, the Osaka District Court ruled that the Constitution did not guarantee such rights to long-term foreign residents from Japan's former colonies or their offspring.

Kim Hyang Do Ja, one of the plaintiffs, said: "It has been more than 50 years after World War II, and we are the fifth generation of Korean residents in Japan. But we are still not recognized as members of our local communities."