The Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan on Friday slammed a recent ruling by a Seoul court dismissing a compensation lawsuit filed by victims of sexual abuse from Japanese military during the World War II
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd April, 2021) The Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan on Friday slammed a recent ruling by a Seoul court dismissing a compensation lawsuit filed by victims of sexual abuse from Japanese military during the World War II.
On Wednesday, the Seoul Central District Court rejected a compensation claim from 20 plaintiffs against Tokyo, including surviving victims of wartime sexual enslavement, also known as "comfort women," citing the principle of sovereign immunity, under which a state is not obliged to abide by rulings of foreign courts.
"We condemn the 4.21 ruling against human rights, peace and historical justice," the NGO said in a statement.
The "comfort women" system was set up by the Japanese imperial forces in occupied countries, including South Korea, during Tokyo's colonial rule, which lasted from 1910-1945 over the Korean Peninsula. Under the scheme, up to 200,000 young women and girls were sexually enslaved for the military. The issue remains a stumbling block in relations between Tokyo and Seoul.
The court dismissal of the lawsuit drew condemnation from several rights groups, which referred to a ruling that the same court made in January, and under which Tokyo was obliged to pay financial reparations of 100 million won (nearly $90,000) to 12 sexual abuse victims in a separate "comfort women" case launched in 2016. Japan, however, rejected the ruling, maintaining that the issue was settled in a bilateral 2015 agreement that saw the previous leadership extend apologies and sponsor a foundation supporting the victims.
However, South Korean President Moon Jae-in annulled the deal amid criticism that the agreement, signed by the previous government, had ignored the opinions of survivors.
Japan has also frequently cited a 1965 deal signed with South Korea that restored diplomatic ties between the two countries and stipulated that Tokyo would pay Seoul $800 million in economic assistance to normalize bilateral relations.
The cases surrounding the use of forced labor and "comfort women" during Japan's 20th century colonial expansion have become a point of contention in relations between the East Asian neighbors.
