Mitsubishi Heavy, Defendant in Forced Labor Lawsuit, Recruits Abe's Closest Aide as Advisor

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the defendant company in the damages claim lawsuit filed by forced labor victims during the Japanese colonial period, has appointed Imai Takaya (62), a close aide of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, as an advisor, Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported on the 2nd.

Previously, in November 2018, the Supreme Court of Korea ruled in the final appeal of a damages lawsuit filed by five forced labor victims and their families against Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, ordering the company to pay compensation ranging from 100 million to 150 million KRW per person.

However, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, like Nippon Steel which received a similar compensation order from the Korean Supreme Court, has refused to comply with the ruling, arguing that the issue of individual compensation was resolved under the 1965 Korea-Japan Claims Agreement.

Notably, this stance aligns with that of the former Abe Cabinet and the current Suga Yoshihide Cabinet, which succeeded Abe’s administration. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ appointment of Imai, known as Abe’s "right-hand man," as an advisor is expected to influence the company’s future responses to forced labor compensation rulings, drawing close attention.

Imai, who hails from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry which oversees industrial policy, was appointed as Abe’s secretary during Abe’s first administration (September 2006 to September 2007), and served as political secretary and aide responsible for policy planning during Abe’s second administration (December 2012 to September 2020).

After Abe’s resignation in September last year, Imai moved to the Cabinet Secretariat, a government agency supporting the Prime Minister and Cabinet, serving as a "Sanyo" (advisor) under the Suga Cabinet.

He is also known to have directed the export control policies against Korea, introduced by the Japanese government in July two years ago as a retaliatory measure against the Korean Supreme Court’s forced labor compensation ruling.

Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported that "Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has not disclosed the timing of Imai’s appointment as advisor," and that "the company’s position is that it cannot comment on individual personnel matters."

The newspaper added that Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has previously recruited former bureaucrats, including those from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, as advisors.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.