Korea`s comfort women seek $20 million lawsuit in the U.S.

Korea`s comfort women seek $20 million lawsuit in the U.S.. June. 24, 2015 07:41. bibulus@donga.com.

Korea`s comfort women have decided to file a collective suit to the U.S. Federal Court demanding Japanese government`s official apology and legal compensation for their forced sexual slavery during World War II. Their decision comes in the event of the 50th anniversary of the Korea-Japan normalization of ties. An executive committee in charge of the lawsuit, composed of victims, bereaved families and others held a press conference Tuesday at the Home of Sharing in Gwangju City, Gyeonggi Province.

In an effort to urge prompt resolution of the comfort woman issue, 12 people, including 10 comfort women and two from the bereaved family will file a suit demanding 20 million U.S. dollars in compensation against war criminal Japanese companies in the U.S. including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the Japanese Emperor, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the Sankei Shimbun that depreciated victims as "prostitutes." The press conference was joined by comfort women including Lee Ok-sun, Kang Il-chul, Yoo Hee-nam, Park Ok-sun and Lee Sung-ho, the family of deceased Kim Sun-duck, litigation attorney Kim Hyung-jin and Home of Sharing head Ahn Shin-kwon.

"Given Japan`s inaction we decided not to wait for Japan`s self-reflection and instead ask for judicial judgment by the U.S. court, which is the third party," the committee said. "We expect international law`s stern judgment against many joint offenders in Japan who are joining this horrible crime. “Only 50 comfort women are alive now and there are concerns that the real truth could be buried. The sorrow and pain of these elderly people didn`t end 70 years ago. It is continuing but Japan is still disregarding the truth, and we have but to ask for their legal responsibility."

Yet they said they can cancel the lawsuit if the Japanese government apologizes and actively seeks ways to solve the issue.