Input 2021.01.22 20:52
Earlier, the Civil Affairs Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Jung-Gon Kim) ruled in favor of the plaintiff, saying, “Pay 100 million won per person” in the first trial of 12 comfort women victims, including the late grandmother Bae Chun-hee, filed against the Japanese government for damages. The deadline for appeal is 0:00 on the 23rd.
Foreign Minister Motegi said at a press conference that day, “(Time remains until the appeal deadline), but it is still a family story, but I will not appeal anyway.” He said, “When the judgment is confirmed, I would like to clearly communicate the position of Korea (Japan) once again.” It did not mention specifically how to respond.
The Japanese government is in a position not to admit the trial itself, refusing to comply with this lawsuit by proposing the principle of “state exemption (sovereign exemption)” under customary international law that the sovereign state does not stand in the courts of other countries. On the other hand, our court judged that the comfort women case is a crime against humanity at the national level, and therefore has the right to trial in Korea and is not subject to state immunity.
Immediately after the decision of the Seoul Central District Law was issued, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded by inviting South Korean Ambassador Nam Kwan-pyo to Japan, saying, “It is very regrettable that (the Korean court) denies the principle of sovereign immunity under international law, and the Japanese government cannot accept it. .
On the 19th, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, an organization within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in Japan, delivered a resolution condemning the judgment of compensation for comfort women to Foreign Minister Motegi and demanded the Japanese government to consider “resolute countermeasures” such as filing a complaint with the International Court of Justice (ICJ). In this regard, Foreign Minister Motegi said, “We will respond with all options as possible.”