Victims Support Groups Urge Japanese Defendant Companies to Apologize and Compensate

On the 10th, the "Association Supporting the Nagoya Mitsubishi Korean Women Forced Laborers Lawsuit," the "Citizens' Association for the Relief of Korean Atomic Bomb Victims," and the "Association Supporting Former Forced Laborers of Nippon Steel" will conduct a demonstration demanding an apology and compensation from Mitsubishi in front of "Mitsubishi Shoji" at Marunouchi 2-chome 3-1, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. The photo shows the 542nd Friday demonstration held by members of the Nagoya Lawsuit Support Association in front of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries on the 13th of last month. Provided by the Citizens' Group for Forced Mobilization during Japanese Imperialism

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A civic group that has been supporting lawsuits filed by victims of the Japanese colonial era has decided to raise its voice in urging Japanese defendant companies (Nippon Steel and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries), which have yet to comply with the 2018 compensation ruling by the Supreme Court of Korea, to apologize and provide compensation.

The "Nagoya Mitsubishi Korean Women's Volunteer Labor Lawsuit Support Group" (hereafter "Nagoya Lawsuit Support Group"), the "Citizens' Group to Save Korean Atomic Bomb Victims," and the "Support Group for Former Forced Laborers' Lawsuit against Nippon Steel" plan to stage a protest action (Friday Action) demanding an apology and compensation from Mitsubishi in front of "Mitsubishi Corporation" at 2-3-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, on the morning of the 10th.

The "Friday Action" was inspired by the "Wednesday Demonstration" in Korea, which called for a resolution to the issue of Japanese military "comfort women" victims.

The Japanese support group "Nagoya Lawsuit Support Group," which has been supporting the lawsuits of the grandmothers who were victims of the Mitsubishi Volunteer Labor Corps, began the action in front of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries headquarters on July 20, 2007, urging the company to acknowledge the forced mobilization during the Japanese colonial era and to promptly apologize and provide compensation. This year marks the 18th year of the campaign.

Initially, the protest was held regularly every Friday, but due to the global spread of COVID-19 in 2020, it was repeatedly suspended and resumed. Since July 2022, it has been held once a month.

Starting with the 543rd Friday Action on the 10th, the first of this year, a new change has begun. Not only the "Nagoya Lawsuit Support Group," which has been fighting against Mitsubishi, but also the "Citizens' Group to Save Korean Atomic Bomb Victims" and the "Support Group for Former Forced Laborers' Lawsuit against Nippon Steel" have decided to join forces and hold the Friday Action together. The name has also changed from "Friday Action" to "Marunouchi Action."

At the center of Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, the headquarters buildings of Mitsubishi Corporation, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and Nippon Steel?the defendant companies each ordered to pay compensation by the Supreme Court of Korea in 2018?are all located within a 100-meter radius. Accordingly, the civic groups that have long supported the victims have decided to unite and raise their voices together against these companies.

Although these groups, which began with lawsuits in Japan and have long supported the victims, have occasionally carried out joint activities depending on the situation, this is the first time they have decided to conduct regular protest actions at a single location.

On the 10th, starting at Mitsubishi Corporation, they plan to visit the headquarters of Nippon Steel and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in turn, holding protest actions in front of each company for 30 minutes.

In materials distributed in advance, the groups stated, "In 2018, the Supreme Court of Korea recognized the claims of victims forcibly mobilized by Nippon Steel and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and ordered each company to pay compensation. However, the Japanese government has objected, claiming the issue was resolved by the Korea-Japan Treaty, and the two companies have yet to comply with the ruling. The Korean government is also attempting to resolve the issue politically by proposing a third-party repayment plan in which a Korean foundation pays the compensation on behalf of the defendant companies."

They added, "However, the issue has not been resolved. Some plaintiffs have rejected the third-party repayment proposal, and in ongoing follow-up trials in Korea, compensation orders against Japanese companies continue to be issued."

Takahashi Makoto, co-representative of the Nagoya Lawsuit Support Group, said, "Although some plaintiffs have accepted the compensation due to circumstances, this does not mean the defendant companies' responsibility for compensation has been completely eliminated, nor has their responsibility to apologize disappeared." "From this year, we have decided to make a progressive change from the Mitsubishi Friday Action to the 'Marunouchi Action' to further pressure the defendant companies."

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