Colonial-era Korean forced laborers yesterday launched a legal step to get court approval for the sale of local assets of their former Japanese employer Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which has refused to compensate the former workers.
South Korea’s Supreme Court last year ordered two Japanese firms, including Mitsubishi, to pay compensation to some aging Korean plaintiffs who were forced to work for them when the Korean Peninsula was under Tokyo’s 1910-1945 colonial rule.
The Japanese firms have refused to abide by the rulings, siding with their government’s position that all compensation issues were settled when Japan and South Korea established diplomatic ties in 1965.
Lawyers for the former workers formally requested a district court to authorize the sales of some of the firm’s assets in South Korea, which have already been seized, a civic group supporting the former workers said.
“There is a limit in our waiting,” a group statement said. “Regrettably, three plaintiffs have passed away this year alone while Mitsubishi has been refusing to implement the court rulings.”
If the court approves, Mitsubishi’s assets would be put up for auction to raise funds to pay the compensation in a process expected to take several months.
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters later yesterday that Tokyo is concerned about the development.
“The movement of cashing assets of Japanese companies is very concerning,” Suga said. “We strongly urge the [South] Korean side to take measures to correct this illegal condition, and there is no change to our position.”
South Korea and Japan are engaged in escalating trade and political disputes over Japan’s decision to tighten the approval process for the export of some high-tech materials.
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