Story perspectives

Historic Court Ruling Orders North Korea to Pay ¥88M

1/29/2026

Center

Japan Orders Compensation

On January 26, 2026, a Japanese court ordered North Korea to pay 88 million yen.
The ruling is historic, marking the first time a Japanese court acknowledged North Korea's malpractice.
The four plaintiffs include Eiko Kawasaki and faced harsh conditions and forced labor after relocating to North Korea.
Enforcement remains uncertain, and the case highlights struggles of more than 90,000 Zainichi Koreans who relocated between 1959 and 1984.

Right

Japan Compensates Victims

On January 28, 2026, Hiroshima District Court ordered the Japanese government to pay 3.3 million yen to relatives of Korean victims of 1945 Hiroshima bombing.
The court rejected government's statute-of-limitations argument as an abuse of rights.
The plaintiffs claimed government failed to provide healthcare allowances to hibakusha returning to South Korea.
The 2003 ruling deemed the 1974 exclusion illegal.
Supreme Court of Japan confirmed the government's liability in 2007.

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Japan Orders Compensation

On January 26, 2026, a Japanese court ordered North Korea to pay 88 million yen.
The ruling is historic, marking the first time a Japanese court acknowledged North Korea's malpractice.
The four plaintiffs include Eiko Kawasaki and faced harsh conditions and forced labor after relocating to North Korea.
Enforcement remains uncertain, and the case highlights struggles of more than 90,000 Zainichi Koreans who relocated between 1959 and 1984.

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