Seoul appeals court orders Mitsubishi Materials to pay forced-labor victims

A Seoul appeals court has again ruled that Japanese conglomerate Mitsubishi Materials Corp. must compensate five South Korean victims of wartime forced labor, ordering a total payment of 99 million won (approximately US$74,500). The appellate panel of the Seoul Central District Court upheld a lower-court verdict, assigning roughly 27 million won to plaintiff Heo and 18 million won to each of the other four claimants. This decision aligns with a 2018 Supreme Court ruling that the 1965 treaty settling issues from Japan’s colonial rule does not extinguish individuals’ right to seek damages.

Since that precedent, South Korean courts have issued numerous judgments requiring Japanese companies to provide reparations. Mitsubishi Materials, previously known as Mitsubishi Mining, is thus compelled to fulfill the court-ordered payments. The case highlights the continued legal and diplomatic tensions between South Korea and Japan over historical grievances and demonstrates the willingness of Korean courts to enforce compensation despite past diplomatic agreements.