85 Forced Labor Victims File Damages Lawsuit Against 16 Japanese Companies; First Trial Verdict Next Month

On the morning of the 28th, the first hearing of the damages lawsuit filed by victims of forced labor under Japanese colonial rule against 16 Japanese companies was held at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu. After the trial ended, the plaintiffs gave an interview to the press.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] The first trial verdict for the damages claim lawsuit filed by forced labor victims during the Japanese colonial period against 16 Japanese companies will be delivered on June 10. It has been six years since the victims filed the lawsuit.

The Civil Division 34 of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Kim Yangho) held the first hearing on the damages claim lawsuit filed by 85 forced labor victims, including Mr. Song, against 16 Japanese companies such as Nippon Steel (formerly Shin Nippon Steel) and Nissan Chemical at 11 a.m. on the 28th, and announced that the verdict date would be set for June 10.

On that day, the court stated, "This case has been pending for a long time. Relevant precedents have been issued by the Supreme Court, and the facts are all established," and declared that the hearing would conclude that day.

In response to this decision, the representatives of the Japanese companies' legal teams collectively requested the court to postpone the verdict date. One defense attorney said, "Honestly, we did not expect a decision to be announced on the first hearing," and argued, "There are dozens of plaintiffs. We need time to grasp the specific facts."

The court replied, "These are all legal issues, and the plaintiffs have waited a very long time," and said it would proceed with the verdict as scheduled. Another defense attorney for the Japanese companies appealed, "We have not had sufficient time to review the necessary legal principles. Even though there is a Supreme Court plenary session precedent, there are still unresolved issues related to this trial. Please delay the verdict date," but the court refused, saying, "We will proceed as planned."

Regarding the defense's claim that "It is the first hearing, and the plaintiffs should detail the specific grounds for the claim in court. It seems their position is not yet organized," the plaintiffs' representatives countered, "We have already submitted sufficient materials." The court also emphasized again, "The verdict date has been set, and the judges may change in the meantime," and stated it would proceed with the verdict as scheduled.

Earlier, the victims filed the lawsuit in 2015, but the Japanese companies consistently remained 'non-responsive.' When the court recently delivered the complaint through public notice (a system where the content is published in the court gazette and considered delivered to the parties), the Japanese companies belatedly appointed domestic lawyers as their legal representatives. It is known that about ten parties involved in the case passed away between the initial filing of the complaint and the first hearing held on this day.

In the courtroom that day, the victims and their families shouted at the legal representatives of the Japanese companies, "Is money everything?", "Have some shame!"

This is the first lawsuit filed by forced labor victims against multiple Japanese companies simultaneously. The total amount of damages claimed by the victims is 8.6 billion KRW. In 2018, the Supreme Court accepted a damages claim filed by four forced labor victims, including the late Mr. Yeo Woon-taek, against Nippon Steel, ordering compensation of 100 million KRW per person.

Jang Deok-hwan, the representative of the National Alliance for Justice for Victims of Forced Labor under Japanese Rule, who observed the trial that day, came out of the courtroom and said, "It is not right for the defendants, who showed no response for 6 to 7 years, to suddenly ask for a postponement of the verdict and request legal review," and pointed out, "Not a single defense attorney appeared until now, but suddenly many appeared all at once."

Jang added, "I am grateful that the trial is finally being held and a verdict will be delivered after six years. I hope the result will be acceptable to the entire nation because the damage is a fact."

A statue honoring the spirits of forced laborers during the Japanese colonial period is installed in Bupyeong Park, Incheon. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

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