ABSTRACT
The chapter examines the development of hate speech legislation and social policy in Korea, Japan and France within national, international and globalized contexts. Hate speech debates intensified in all three states since 2013 and the chapter first considers the distinct socio-legal contexts of hate speech in each country. The chapter considers whether insights gleaned from across the three jurisdictions can inform co-operative initiatives in international law and support nation-state strategies in a globalized world. The chapter argues international law is significant in hate speech reform for two reasons. First UN and EU legislation already exists against hate speech. Second a globalized world, in which hate speech increasingly occurs online, requires an international perspective. International legislation and social policy are one way states can enforce hate speech legislation within national jurisdictions despite the global dominance of transnational media corporations. The chapter examines the extent to which existing statutes in international law can illuminate debates on hate speech legislation in Korea, Japan and France.
