Japanese war criminal firm to pay 100 million won each to slave laborers

Japanese war criminal firm to pay 100 million won each to slave laborers. November. 24, 2016 07:11. by Dong-Jun Heo hungry@donga.com.

Kim Ok-soon (87) was seen smiling as she left court by walking with cane right after court ruling. Civil suit compromise court 19 at the Seoul District Court ordered that Fujikoshi pay 100 million won (85,000 dollars) each, or a total of 500 million won (425,000 dollars) to victims, in a ruling partially in favor of the plaintiffs on the day.

Five victims of female slave labor including Kim were only 13 to 15 years old when they were mobilized as slave laborers during the Japanese colonial rule of Korea. Kim was conscripted right before graduating from elementary school in 1945. Some of the victims were cheated with lies, such as “If you come to Japan, we will support your study. If you work at factory, you can also earn money,” but she claims she did not hear such promises. “When 50 of the 60 students in my class were singled out through lottery drawing, they cried out to say they would not go, and the entire class burst into tears en masse,” Kim said, recalling her past memories. Victims including Kim were forced to engage in manual work to produce aircraft parts in Japan until they returned to Korea.

“Japan systematically recruited manpower by setting up a long-term plan while staging wars of illegal aggressions including the Sino-Japan War at the time, and Fujikoshi took advantage of the situation,” the court said. “They were young women, but were forced to dangerous labor in harsh working environment, and the company is responsible for the illegal acts.”

The latest court ruling accepted the entire 100 million won (85,000 dollars) each to all the victims in compensation for damage, which was sought by the victims, regardless of whether they voluntarily joined the “labor unit” or were forced to join. In the first suit against Fujikoshi filed by victims in 2014, the ruling ordered the perpetrators to pay different amounts in the range of 80 million won (68,000 dollars) to 100 million won per person depending on whether they were taken by force or not. “The court took into consideration how serious the illegality of affliction was and the fact that remedy for their sufferings was not taken for a considerable period of time even after their return to Korea,” the court said.