A South Korean court has instructed Japan to pay a group of women who were coerced to work in military brothels during World War II.
16 women, who were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military during World War II, filed a case in 2016.
However, it was dismissed by the Seoul Central District Court five years later, citing sovereign immunity.
But two years afterward, the Seoul high court overturned the decision, stating that it recognized South Korea’s jurisdiction over the Japanese government as the women sought compensation.
The high court also asked Japan to pay 200 million won or 154 thousand U.S. Dollars in compensation to each of the 16 victims.
An emotional response came from a 95-year-old activist and survivor of Japanese military sexual slavery, Lee Yong-Soo, who thanked the court for the decision.
Over 200,000 women and girls were forced into prostitution to serve Japanese soldiers during the Second World War, with most victims hailing from Korea, Mainland China, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Taiwan.
Meanwhile, Japan’s Foreign Minister, Yoko Kamikawa, has not accepted the court’s decision. She expressed deep regrets and urged South Korea to take appropriate steps to quickly resolve Japan’s violations of international law.
