299 firms that mobilized Koreans still exist

By Kim Bo-eun

Of 1,493 Japanese companies that mobilized Koreans into forced labor during the 1910-45 Japanese colonial rule, 299 still exist, according to an investigation committee under the Prime Minister’s Office that published its findings Wednesday.

The number is based on an inspection of official documents regarding the forced mobilization that the Japanese government and the companies produced, as well as local dailies, research papers and the websites of the companies.

Among the 299 companies were Japan’s top three conglomerates Mitsubishi, Mitsui and Sumitomo. Other corporations included automobile companies such as Hitachi Heavy Industries, Nissan and Mazda; Sensai cosmetics; the beer company Kirin; and the home appliance company Panasonic.

In 2008, surviving victims that filed a suit against Mitsubishi lost in a ruling by the High Court in Japan. Since then, a civic group has campaigned to collect signatures and has held 16 sessions of negotiations with the company since November 2010. The negotiations, however, ended early last month because the company denied all responsibility.

“Siemens, the German electronics company that also used forced labor has apologized numerous times as well as compensated the victims, but the Japanese companies are not even acknowledging their wrongdoing,” said a committee member.

According to the committee, 901 victims died working at construction sites and coal mines and among them were 161 minors under the age of 18 and 35 children under the age of 14.

“Even the Japanese government’s documents state that there were 648 victims of the forced mobilization,” said the member. “However, they are excluded from the list that receive compensation for forced labor according to a related law, therefore it is urgent that the law be revised.”