Japan court orders North Korea to pay millions for human rights abuses

A Japanese court ruled that North Korea was responsible for human rights violations against four plaintiffs lured to the country under false promises of a “paradise on Earth,” awarding each 22 million yen ($143,000) in damages.

The decision was hailed by survivors and human rights advocates as a landmark acknowledgment of North Korea’s abuses, Independent reports.

Kenji Fukuda, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs, called the ruling “significant” for formally recognizing North Korea’s human rights violations, but cautioned that “the ruling is just a piece of paper and getting the compensation money is a challenge.”

The Tokyo District Court found that the plaintiffs, comprising both ethnic Koreans and Japanese, were forced to endure decades of harsh conditions without freedom to return home. They were among tens of thousands who moved to North Korea between 1959 and 1984 under a repatriation program, lured by promises of free healthcare, education, employment, and other benefits.

“It's not an overstatement to say most of their lives were ruined by North Korea,” Judge Taiichi Kamino said, ordering damages totaling 88 million yen ($572,000). He emphasized that the plaintiffs lived under severe restrictions on residence, schooling, and employment.

Originally, five plaintiffs filed the 2018 lawsuit seeking 100 million yen ($650,000) each, though two have since died, and one case was taken up by a son.

A previous 2022 ruling recognized that the plaintiffs had been misled by North Korea and the pro-North organization Chongryon in Japan but rejected compensation claims due to jurisdictional issues and the statute of limitations. On appeal, the Tokyo High Court in 2023 acknowledged Japan’s jurisdiction and North Korea’s violations of fundamental rights, sending the case back to the lower court to determine damages.

Eiko Kawasaki, 83, a second-generation Korean born in Kyoto, moved to North Korea in 1960 after repeated promotions of the “paradise” by Chongryon. She was held there for 43 years before defecting to Japan via China in 2003, leaving behind her children. “The ruling is just a start,” she said, adding, “I don’t think Kim Jong Un would react or comment.”

Fukuda suggested that seizing possible North Korean assets in Japan could be a route to securing damages, though he did not provide details. Kawasaki also called on the Japanese government to support repatriation victims, pursue accountability from Chongryon, and issue an apology for the earlier repatriation agreement between the Japanese and North Korean Red Cross societies.

Kane Doi, Japan director at Human Rights Watch, urged the government to build on the ruling and press North Korea to take responsibility, enabling other victims and their families to resettle in Japan.

By Vafa Guliyeva