The court ruled again that Nippon Steel, a Japanese war crimes company, must compensate the families of victims of forced mobilization. Since the Supreme Court's en banc decision in 2018 recognized Japanese companies' responsibility for compensating victims of forced mobilization, courts have continued to side with victims.

On the 30th, Judge Kim Min-jeong of the Seoul Central District Court's Civil Division 37 ruled in favor of some of the plaintiffs, saying, "Japan Steel should pay a total of 100 million won to the surviving family members in a lawsuit for damages filed by nine surviving family members of A, a victim of forced mobilization, against Japan Steel."

The bereaved family filed a claim for damages against Japan Steel in 2019, saying, “Mr. A was taken to Japan Steel in 1945 and forced to work without receiving proper wages in situations where there was a high risk of injury.”

Judge Kim said, “The act against Mr. A corresponds to an inhumane illegal act directly related to the Japanese government’s illegal colonial rule,” and “It is clear that Mr. A suffered extreme suffering due to this illegal act.”

In this trial, the statute of limitations on claims for damages was an issue. The right to claim compensation lapses if it is not exercised within three years from the date the victim became aware of the damage. Nippon Steel argued that the statute of limitations had already expired when the bereaved family filed a claim for damages.

However, the court did not accept Japan Steel's argument. Recently, the court ruled that the base date for the statute of limitations was October 30, 2018, in the appeal of the damages claim filed by victims of forced mobilization against Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in December of last year by the Supreme Court's en banc body, and is judging the base date for the statute of limitations based on this. The purpose is that compensation for damages can only be claimed within three years from October 30, 2018, when judicial relief for victims of forced mobilization became possible through a Supreme Court ruling. Previously, the court ruled in favor of some of the plaintiffs in July for the same reason in a lawsuit filed by 10 bereaved families of two victims of forced labor at Japan Steel.

Attorney Lee Sang-hee (Hyangjiang Law Firm), the legal representative of the bereaved family, met with reporters immediately after the sentencing and said, “Japan Steel insists on the completion of the statute of limitations in all lawsuits,” adding, “This case was filed six months after the Supreme Court’s unanimous decision in 2018. “Today, as before, the court acknowledged the requested amount as is,” he explained.

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