The South Korean court ordered Japan on Thursday to compensate 16 women who were forced into sexual slavery by Japanese troops during World War 2. The old conflict will be reignited. The Seoul Central District Court ruled the Japanese government to pay each victim 200 million won ($152,000).
The case was filed by the 12 aging women of South Korea. They filed the case in 2013 for their sexual slavery.
The proceedings in the case are already delayed. The reason is Japan as they refuse to receive legal documents. Sadly 7 out of 12 women died while waiting for the judgment.
The other 20 women have already died due to illness and the case suit is represented by their surviving family members. They file a separate suit against Japan and the ruling is mostly by next week.
When Japan colonized Korea
During Japan’s colonization of Korea from 1910 to 1945, a significant number of Koreans were forced into labor. It’s estimated that around 780,000 Koreans were made to work in mines and factories under severe conditions without adequate compensation or holidays.
Women were forced into sexual slavery
In addition to this forced labor, the Japanese military exploited a large number of women, mainly from Korea, as sexual slaves during World War II. These women, often referred to as “comfort women”, were compelled to provide sexual services to Japanese soldiers.
These women were part of the tens of thousands across Asia and the Pacific who were forced into Japanese military brothels during the occupation. Around 240 South Korean women stepped forward and registered with their government as victims of sexual slavery.
However, only 16 of these brave women, now in their 80s and 90s, are still with us today.
Observers believe that it’s unlikely that Japan will comply with the ruling of the South Korean court. A support group for the women who were forced into sexual slavery has stated that if Japan refuses to provide compensation to the victims, they may resort to legal measures to seize the assets of the Japanese government in South Korea.
Other disputes because of colonization
There have been continuous disputes between Japan and South Korea regarding these issues. For example, a recent contention arose over Japan’s application for Unesco World Heritage status for its gold and silver mines on Sado Island, which employed forced Korean labor
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry on the issue.
Seoul’s foreign ministry confirmed that the court ruling was finalized as Japan, the defendant, did not appeal. South Korea pledged to continue efforts to restore the honor and dignity of the “comfort women” victims, a term referring to sex slaves while maintaining forward-looking cooperation with Japan.
Court decision in the favour of victims.
The court declared that Japan’s act of forcing these women into sexual slavery was a “crime against humanity.” It stated that this occurred during Japan’s “illegal occupation” of the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945, and that Japan’s sovereign immunity does not protect it from lawsuits in South Korea.
The court further stated that these women were subjected to “severe sexual activities” by Japanese soldiers, which resulted in physical harm, sexually transmitted diseases, and unwanted pregnancies, leaving deep psychological wounds in the lives of these women.
Tokyo maintains that a 1965 treaty, which saw the restoration of diplomatic ties along with a reparations package of about $800 million in grants and cheap loans, settled all colonial-era claims.
Japan’s Foreign Minister denied the ruling.
Japan’s Foreign Minister, Yoko Kamikawa, expressed strong disapproval of the ruling, stating it was “completely unacceptable” and in clear violation of international law and bilateral agreements.
According to South Korean media, Tokyo’s choice not to contest the decision is seen as an ongoing effort to downplay and disregard such verdicts. Japan has consistently invoked “state immunity” under international law, maintaining that it is not under the legal authority of foreign courts.
