Tokyo: A South Korean court on Friday ordered Japan to financially compensate 12 South Korean women forced to work as sex slaves for Japanese troops during World War II, the first such ruling expected to rekindle animosities between the Asian neighbors.
Japan immediately protested the ruling, maintaining that all wartime compensation issues were resolved under a 1965 treaty that normalized their ties.
Katsunobu Kato, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary, said Friday that "it is extremely regrettable that such a ruling was issued."
"Due to the principle of sovereignty immunity under international law, the Government of Japan can't submit to the jurisdiction of South Korea. Japan has repeatedly expressed our position that the proceedings must be dismissed," Kato added.
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The Seoul Central District Court ruled the Japanese government must give 100 million won ($91,360) each to the 12 women who filed the lawsuits in 2013 for their wartime sexual slavery.
The court said Japan’s mobilization of these women as sexual slaves were “a crime against humanity.” It said that the mobilization happened when Japan “illegally occupied” the Korean Peninsula from 1910-45 so that its sovereign immunity cannot shield it from lawsuits in South Korea.
The court said the women were the victims of “harsh sexual activities” by Japanese troops, which caused bodily harm, venereal diseases and unwanted pregnancies and left “big mental scars” in the women's lives.
Observers say it’s unlikely for Japan to abide by the South Korean court ruling. A support group for the Korean women said it may take legal steps to freeze Japanese government assets in South Korea if Japan refuses to compensate the women.
Japan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it's vice Foreign Minister Takeo Akiba summoned South Korean Ambassador Nam Gwan-pyo to register its protest against the ruling.
AP
