▁in ▁the ▁city ▁board ▁of ▁education ▁devoted ▁exclus ively ▁to ▁education ▁for ▁eth nic ▁Kore ans , ▁and ▁the ▁elim ination ▁of ▁the ▁requirement ▁that ▁city ▁employees ▁hold ▁Japanese ▁national ity . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁Lee ▁natural ised ▁as ▁a ▁Japanese ▁citiz en ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁run ▁for ▁a ▁position ▁in ▁the ▁assembly ▁of ▁Os aka ▁Pref ect ure . ▁Running ▁from ▁his ▁h omet own , ▁the ▁Tak ats uki ▁elect oral ▁district , ▁he ▁estimated ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁require ▁ 1 3 , 0 0 0 ▁votes ▁to ▁gain ▁a ▁seat . ▁Though ▁in ▁the ▁past , ▁he ▁had ▁held ▁on ▁to ▁his ▁South ▁Korean ▁national ity ▁as ▁an ▁expression ▁of ▁his ▁identity , ▁and ▁joined ▁campaign s ▁demand ing ▁suff rage ▁for ▁foreign ▁residents , ▁he ▁natural ised ▁for ▁the ▁express ▁purpose ▁of ▁representing ▁foreign ▁residents ▁and ▁other ▁minor ities ▁in ▁local ▁politics . ▁If ▁elected , ▁he ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁Os aka ' s ▁first ▁eth nic ▁Korean ▁assembly ▁member ; ▁he ▁hoped ▁that ▁his ▁campaign ▁would ▁provide ▁an ▁opportunity ▁for ▁Kore ans ▁who ▁had ▁taken ▁up ▁Japanese ▁national ity ▁to ▁strength en ▁their ▁eth nic ▁identity ▁and ▁express ▁it ▁open ly ▁to ▁the ▁society ▁at ▁large . ▁However , ▁in ▁the ▁end , ▁out ▁of ▁six ▁candidates ▁compet ing ▁for ▁five ▁seats , ▁he ▁came ▁in ▁last , ▁with ▁only ▁ 2 , 5 4 3 ▁votes ▁out ▁of ▁ 1 2 7 , 6 4 6 ▁cast ▁( comp ared ▁to ▁