Tokyo Court Orders North Korea to Pay Victims of "Paradise" Propaganda Scheme

A Tokyo court has ordered North Korea to pay 88 million Japanese yen ($570,000) to four individuals who were enticed to move there decades ago by a propaganda scheme.

Ruling Details

This ruling marks the first instance a Japanese court has exercised its sovereignty against North Korea in such a manner. The court determined that North Korea violated the plaintiffs' rights.

Judge Taiichi Kamino commented that "most of their lives were ruined by North Korea."

Background

Between 1959 and 1984, over 90,000 Zainichi Koreans, ethnic Koreans residing in Japan, relocated to North Korea under a resettlement initiative. This scheme promised an idyllic life with free healthcare, education, and employment, marketed as "paradise on Earth."

However, survivors reported facing harsh conditions, including forced labor on farms and factories, along with severe restrictions on their freedom to leave.

Legal Battle

One of the plaintiffs, Eiko Kawasaki, moved to North Korea in 1960 at age 17 and escaped in 2003. She is now 83.

A group of five plaintiffs filed a lawsuit in 2018. Initially, a Tokyo district court rejected their claims in 2022, citing a lack of Japanese jurisdiction and an expired statute of limitations. However, in 2023, the Tokyo High Court ruled that the case fell within Japanese jurisdiction.

Enforcement Challenges

Despite the "historic" nature of the ruling, its enforcement is largely symbolic. North Korea has consistently ignored the lawsuit and summons from the Japanese court, making actual compensation payments a significant challenge.