A South Korean appellate court on Thursday ordered Japan to compensate a group of 16 women who were forced to work in Japanese wartime brothels, overturning a lower court ruling that dismissed the case.
The legacy of Japan’s colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945 remains politically sensitive for both sides, with many surviving “comfort women” — a Japanese euphemism for people sexually abused — still demanding Tokyo’s formal apology and compensation.
Bilateral relations between the two US allies have been strained for years by the issues of wartime sex abuse and forced labor, but South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida have sought to improve ties.
Photo: AFP
The 16 victims filed the suit in 2016, seeking 200 million won (US$153,133) each in compensation, but the Seoul Central District Court dismissed the case in 2021, citing sovereign immunity, a legal doctrine that allows a state to be exempt from a civil suit in foreign courts.
The Seoul High Court, however, reversed the lower court’s decision, recognizing the jurisdiction of South Korean courts over the Japanese government as a defendant.
“It is reasonable to consider that there is a common international law which does not recognize state immunity for an illegal act ... regardless of whether the act was a sovereign act,” the appellate court said in a statement.
The court also said the case falls within South Korea’s jurisdiction as the plaintiffs live in the country and sought compensation over the acts that are deemed “unlawful” under its civil law.
Tokyo has said the issue was settled under a 1965 treaty that normalized diplomatic relations, and the two neighbors agreed to “irreversibly” end the dispute in a 2015 deal.
In a statement, Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Yoko Kamikawa said the judgement went against international law and agreements between the two countries, calling it “extremely regrettable and absolutely unacceptable.”
“Japan once again strongly urges the Republic of Korea to immediately take appropriate measures to remedy the status of its breaches of international law,” she said.
The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was looking into details of the latest ruling, without elaborating.
Lee Yong-soo, a 95-year-old activist and victim who also filed the suit, welcomed the decision and tearfully thanked the court for the decision.
“I’m grateful. I’m really grateful,” she said as she exited the courthouse, adding that she wished she was able to share the news and gratitude with some other victims who had passed away.
Tropical Storm Usagi strengthened to a typhoon yesterday morning and remains on track to brush past southeastern Taiwan from tomorrow to Sunday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was approximately 950km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost point, the CWA said. It is expected to enter the Bashi Channel and then turn north, moving into waters southeast of Taiwan, it said. The agency said it could issue a sea warning in the early hours of today and a land warning in the afternoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving at
DISCONTENT: The CCP finds positive content about the lives of the Chinese living in Taiwan threatening, as such video could upset people in China, an expert said Chinese spouses of Taiwanese who make videos about their lives in Taiwan have been facing online threats from people in China, a source said yesterday. Some young Chinese spouses of Taiwanese make videos about their lives in Taiwan, often speaking favorably about their living conditions in the nation compared with those in China, the source said. However, the videos have caught the attention of Chinese officials, causing the spouses to come under attack by Beijing’s cyberarmy, they said. “People have been messing with the YouTube channels of these Chinese spouses and have been harassing their family members back in China,”
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said there are four weather systems in the western Pacific, with one likely to strengthen into a tropical storm and pose a threat to Taiwan. The nascent tropical storm would be named Usagi and would be the fourth storm in the western Pacific at the moment, along with Typhoon Yinxing and tropical storms Toraji and Manyi, the CWA said. It would be the first time that four tropical cyclones exist simultaneously in November, it added. Records from the meteorology agency showed that three tropical cyclones existed concurrently in January in 1968, 1991 and 1992.
UPDATED FORECAST: The warning covered areas of Pingtung County and Hengchun Peninsula, while a sea warning covering the southern Taiwan Strait was amended The Central Weather Administration (CWA) at 5:30pm yesterday issued a land warning for Typhoon Usagi as the storm approached Taiwan from the south after passing over the Philippines. As of 5pm, Usagi was 420km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost tip, with an average radius of 150km, the CWA said. The land warning covered areas of Pingtung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春), and came with an amended sea warning, updating a warning issued yesterday morning to cover the southern part of the Taiwan Strait. No local governments had announced any class or office closures as of press time last night. The typhoon
RSS