The Supreme Court of South Korea has confirmed a ruling requiring Nippon Steel (formerly Shin Nippon Steel) to pay 80 million won in damages to the family of a forced labor victim from the Japanese colonial period. The family expressed hope for a prompt apology and compensation.
On August 12, the Supreme Court's second division, led by Justice Oh Kyung-mi, upheld the lower court's decision that ordered Nippon Steel to pay 80 million won in damages in a lawsuit filed by the family of the late Min Moon-sik, a victim of forced labor.
Min worked as a laborer at the Kamaishi Steel Works operated by Nippon Steel from February to July 1942 before escaping and returning to Korea, where he passed away in April 1989.
His children argued that the forced labor separated them from their father, deprived them of family support, and subjected them to dangerous working conditions. They filed the lawsuit in April 2019, seeking 100 million won in damages for their father's mental suffering.
A key issue in the case was the statute of limitations for filing a damages claim. Typically, the legal timeframe to file a claim is three years from the date the victim becomes aware of the wrongdoing, or ten years from the date of the wrongdoing itself. If this period expires, the right to claim damages is lost.
Previously, victims had refrained from filing lawsuits, believing that their individual claims had been extinguished by the 1965 Korea-Japan Claims Agreement. However, a 2012 Supreme Court ruling determined that individual claims were not extinguished by this agreement, a decision that was ultimately confirmed by a full Supreme Court ruling in 2018, broadly recognizing the individual claims of forced labor victims.
The first trial concluded that the family had missed the deadline to file for damages, basing its judgment on the 2012 ruling. However, the appellate court overturned this decision in 2024, ordering Nippon Steel to pay 80 million won, using the date of the Supreme Court's 2018 ruling as the starting point for the statute of limitations.
The court stated, "The ruling of the full Supreme Court clearly established the possibility of judicial relief for forced labor victims in South Korea. Considering this, the plaintiffs, as heirs of the deceased, had a valid reason for not exercising their rights until the ruling on October 30, 2018."
The Supreme Court agreed with the lower court's legal reasoning and confirmed that Nippon Steel must compensate the family 80 million won.
Following the ruling, Min's family and their legal representatives held a press conference, urging Nippon Steel to accept the ruling and issue a direct apology.
Min's son, Min Byung-jo, stated, "As a son, I wanted to restore my father's honor, and I am very pleased with today's positive outcome. I hope they will accept the ruling and provide an apology and compensation promptly."
The family also indicated that they are in the process of seizing Nippon Steel's assets in South Korea, specifically shares in PNR, as part of the enforcement of the ruling.
Min worked as a laborer at the Kamaishi Steel Works operated by Nippon Steel from February to July 1942 before escaping and returning to Korea, where he passed away in April 1989.
His children argued that the forced labor separated them from their father, deprived them of family support, and subjected them to dangerous working conditions. They filed the lawsuit in April 2019, seeking 100 million won in damages for their father's mental suffering.
A key issue in the case was the statute of limitations for filing a damages claim. Typically, the legal timeframe to file a claim is three years from the date the victim becomes aware of the wrongdoing, or ten years from the date of the wrongdoing itself. If this period expires, the right to claim damages is lost.
Previously, victims had refrained from filing lawsuits, believing that their individual claims had been extinguished by the 1965 Korea-Japan Claims Agreement. However, a 2012 Supreme Court ruling determined that individual claims were not extinguished by this agreement, a decision that was ultimately confirmed by a full Supreme Court ruling in 2018, broadly recognizing the individual claims of forced labor victims.
The first trial concluded that the family had missed the deadline to file for damages, basing its judgment on the 2012 ruling. However, the appellate court overturned this decision in 2024, ordering Nippon Steel to pay 80 million won, using the date of the Supreme Court's 2018 ruling as the starting point for the statute of limitations.
The court stated, "The ruling of the full Supreme Court clearly established the possibility of judicial relief for forced labor victims in South Korea. Considering this, the plaintiffs, as heirs of the deceased, had a valid reason for not exercising their rights until the ruling on October 30, 2018."
The Supreme Court agreed with the lower court's legal reasoning and confirmed that Nippon Steel must compensate the family 80 million won.
Following the ruling, Min's family and their legal representatives held a press conference, urging Nippon Steel to accept the ruling and issue a direct apology.
Min's son, Min Byung-jo, stated, "As a son, I wanted to restore my father's honor, and I am very pleased with today's positive outcome. I hope they will accept the ruling and provide an apology and compensation promptly."
The family also indicated that they are in the process of seizing Nippon Steel's assets in South Korea, specifically shares in PNR, as part of the enforcement of the ruling.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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