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Forced labor victim calls for prompt court decision against Japanese firms
Kim Sung-joo, one of the three surviving victims of Japan's wartime forced labor, speaks during a media conference in front of the Supreme Court in Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap
By Jun Ji-hye
By Jun Ji-hye
Kim Sung-joo, one of the three surviving victims of Japan's wartime forced labor, together with a related civic group, called on the Supreme Court, Wednesday, to hand down prompt rulings on pending cases regarding compensation collection from the offending Japanese companies.
Kim, 95, said during a media conference held in front of the court, “Among the victims of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, only two ― Yang Geum-deok and I ― are left alive. Yang is now in the hospital. I really wish the issue will be solved as soon as possible.”
During the media conference, members of the civic group criticized the Yoon Suk Yeol government for engaging with Japan from “a submissive stance” when announcing a plan on March 6 to compensate Korean victims of Japan's wartime forced labor through a Korean public fund, without Japan's contributions.
The group claimed there would be no reason for the victims to delay exercising their rights anymore, as the government announced the plan to compensate the victims without Japan's involvement against the victims' wishes.
In 2018, the Supreme Court ordered two Japanese companies ― Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Nippon Steel ― to compensate Korean victims of wartime forced labor.
While the Japanese firms have refused to comply with this ruling, related cases aimed at collecting compensation from those companies have been pending at the top court. Such cases include those for Kim and Yang's seizure and encashment of two patent rights and two trademark rights of Mitsubishi.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on April 13 that bereaved families of 10 out of the 15 Korean wartime forced labor victims, who won their compensation suits against the Japanese firms at the top court in 2018, have agreed to receive the money through the Foundation for Victims of Forced Mobilization.
In contrast, the three surviving victims ― Kim, Yang and Lee Choon-sik ― have submitted documents to the foundation, stating that they would reject the government's agreement of compensating them through the public fund.
The families of two other deceased victims also sent similar documents to the foundation.