Grandmother I Yong-su Wins on Appeal After Initial Loss: "Full Amount of Plaintiff's Claim Recognized"

The appellate court overturned the first-instance court's dismissal and fully recognized the claimed amount in the second damages claim lawsuit filed by 'comfort women' victims against Japan in our courts.

On the afternoon of the 23rd, at the Seoul High Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, grandmother Lee Yong-soo is seen rejoicing after the court overturned the first-instance dismissal ruling in the second trial date of the lawsuit filed by former Japanese military 'comfort women' victims and their families against the Japanese government for damages. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The Civil Division 33 of the Seoul High Court (Presiding Judges Gu Hoe-geun, Hwang Seong-mi, Heo Ik-su) announced on the 23rd that in the appeal trial of the damages lawsuit filed by 15 plaintiffs, including Grandmother Lee Yong-soo and the families of the late Grandmothers Kwak Ye-nam and Kim Bok-dong, against the Japanese government, it "cancels the first-instance ruling of dismissal and fully recognizes the plaintiffs' claimed amount."

In December 2016, 21 victims and families of Japanese military 'comfort women,' including Grandmother Lee, filed a lawsuit against the Japanese government demanding 200 million won per person in compensation. However, in April 2021, the Seoul Central District Court dismissed the lawsuit, citing the principle of 'state immunity' (sovereign immunity), which exempts a sovereign state like Japan from the jurisdiction of another country's courts. This contrasted with a January ruling by a different division of the same court in the first lawsuit filed by 12 victims, including the late Grandmother Bae Chun-hee, which ordered Japan to pay 100 million won per person, ruling in favor of the plaintiffs. The first lawsuit's court recognized jurisdiction, stating that state immunity could not be applied to Japan's illegal acts. This ruling became final as the Japanese government did not appeal, adhering to its principle of non-response.

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