Tokyo Court Holds North Korea Liable.

In a historic decision delivered on Monday, January 26, the Tokyo District Court ordered the North Korean government to pay damages to survivors of a deceptive repatriation program that took place decades ago. Between 1959 and 1984, approximately 93,000 ethnic Koreans and their Japanese spouses moved from Japan to North Korea. They were lured by Pyongyang’s false promises of a Paradise on Earth with free healthcare, education, and jobs. Upon arrival, participants found themselves trapped in a land of extreme poverty, forced labor, and no freedom of movement. Many were never allowed to see their families in Japan again. Judge Taiichi Kamino ruled that the North Korean government was responsible for decades of harsh conditions and ordered the state to pay 22 million yen, $143,000, to each of the four plaintiffs. While Japan and North Korea have no diplomatic relations—making the collection of these funds nearly impossible—the ruling is a major moral victory. It is the first time a Japanese court has explicitly held the North Korean state legally accountable for the suffering of those lured by the program.

©YovaniBernard.