The first-instance judgment made by the Central District Court in Seoul, South Korea that “the Japanese government pays 100 million won ($100k) to the victims of the Korean Japanese military’comfort women'” came into effect on the 23rd.
According to news from the Korean court, the Japanese government did not appeal within the legal time limit before 0:00 on the 23rd, and the judgment came into effect.
South Korea’s “Civil Procedure Law” stipulates that litigants who disagree with the judgment of the first instance can file an appeal within 2 weeks from the date of service of the judgment.
The Seoul Central District Court ruled on a lawsuit filed with the Japanese government by 12 people including the late “comfort woman” victim Bae Chunji, and ruled that the Japanese government should pay 100 million won to the plaintiff.
Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Toshimitsu Motegi said before that he would not appeal.
The Japanese government has always believed that, in accordance with international law, Japan has sovereign immunity; however, the Seoul Central District Court believes that it has jurisdiction over organized crimes against humanity by the state, so this lawsuit is heard.
After the judgment takes effect, if the Japanese government does not execute the judgment, it will need to find Japanese government property that can be seized in South Korea and force it to sell to enforce compensation.
