“It is unclear whether the third-party repayment method will be confirmed by the end of the Yoon administration’s term.”
“More than 80 lawsuits for damages have been filed, and there is a high possibility that Japanese companies will lose in the future.”
In response to the Supreme Court ruling acknowledging Japanese companies’ liability for compensation to victims of forced labor during the Japanese colonial period, Japanese media outlets commented on the 22nd that the risk of converting Japanese companies’ assets into cash has once again been highlighted.
The Nippon Keizai Shimbun reported, “There are 70 similar lawsuits, and it is certain that the number of wins will increase in the future,” and “It has once again been highlighted that the risk of converting Japanese companies’ assets into cash has not disappeared.”
Nihon Keizai reported the situation in which the Korean government announced third-party repayment in March of this year in which the judgment would be paid by a foundation under the Korean government instead of a Japanese company, but the victims were refusing to receive it, saying, “The Korean government cannot make repayment through court deposit.” “I saw that there was one, but not all district courts that received applications for deposit accepted it,” he said. “The Korean government is prepared to fight through lawsuits, but it is unclear whether the judgment will be confirmed by 2022, when the Yoon administration’s term ends.”
He continued, “In a situation where deposit is not successful, the number of plaintiffs who will win the case in the future may not accept the government’s solution.” “There is,” he predicted.
Nippon Keizai said, “Another concern is the depletion of financial resources,” and added, “So far, the foundation has mainly used 4 billion won donated by Korean steel giant POSCO to pay the plaintiffs. He pointed out, “If a final ruling is made in the future, funds will become insufficient.”
The conservative Yomiuri Shimbun said, “As the ruling on a compensation lawsuit against conscripted workers (Japanese expression for forced laborers under Japanese colonial rule) ordered Japanese companies to pay compensation for the first time in five years, similar judicial decisions are expected to continue in the future.” More than 80 similar lawsuits seeking compensation have been filed, with more than 1,000 plaintiffs. “It is highly likely that Japanese companies will continue to lose cases in the future,” the report said.
Yomiuri said, “The Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs explicitly stated that a significant amount of compensation from Japanese companies will be subject to a solution through a ‘third party repayment method’ where a foundation under the Korean government pays, but it is difficult to estimate whether the solution will proceed as expected by the Korean government.” He expressed concern that “if deposits are not permitted, the move by Japanese companies to cash out their assets may be repeated.”
In a separate editorial, Yomiuri also requested, “We must not repeat the situation where the Korean judiciary’s unreasonable judgments surrounding past history issues damage Japan-Korea relations,” and added, “We hope that the Korean government will make efforts to minimize the impact of the ruling.”
The progressive Asahi Shimbun said, “Since the issue of conscripted workers was resolved politically, Korea-Japan relations have expanded exchanges and cooperation in a wide range of fields, including security and economy,” and added, “The impact of this ruling on Japan-Korea relations is expected to be limited.” “He analyzed.
However, Asahi said, “There are more than 60 pending trials surrounding former conscripted workers.” He also pointed out concerns that “if the amount of money paid by the foundation increases in the future, the structure of raising funds through donations from companies will no longer be sustainable.” “It is happening,” he pointed out.
He also openly expressed his dissatisfaction with the Korean judiciary, which ruled for compensation by a Japanese company.
In an editorial, Yomiuri criticized, “Korean courts tend to make anti-Japanese and sharp rulings on historical issues between Japan and Korea,” adding, “Isn’t this an obstacle to the improvement of relations with Japan that the Yoon administration is tackling?”
The far-right Sankei Shimbun argued in an editorial, “It is unfair to ignore the facts and break promises between countries by calling it unfair forced mobilization,” and added, “If promises between countries are not kept, Korea’s international credibility will be damaged.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.