Grandmother Lee Yong-soo's lawsuit dismissed, "We will go to the International Court of Justice"

Attorney: "Time to Discuss the Meaning of Human Rights Protection in the International Order"
Justice Coalition: "History Will Record Today's Verdict with Shame"

On the 21st, at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, grandmothers who are victims of the Japanese military's comfort women system expressed their stance on the ruling after the verdict was delivered in the second domestic lawsuit filed against the Japanese government for damages.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] Grandmother Lee Yong-soo, a victim of the Japanese military sexual slavery, said on the 21st that after the lawsuit she filed against the Japanese government for damages was dismissed, "There is nothing left to say but to go to the International Court of Justice."

On the same day, right after the Seoul Central District Court Civil Division 15 (Presiding Judge Min Sung-cheol) announced the ruling on the damages lawsuit against the Japanese government, Grandmother Lee said, "This is so absurd." She has been requesting both South Korea and Japan to refer the comfort women issue to the International Court of Justice. On this day, she appeared in court in a wheelchair. She quietly listened to the court’s summary of the ruling, but as the likelihood of losing increased, she stood up with her legal team before the court read the order dismissing the plaintiff's claim.

The attorney said to the press after the ruling, "It is confusing," but added, "I think it is time to discuss what the role of the court is and what human rights protection means within the international order through this ruling." Regarding whether to appeal, he said, "We will decide after discussing with the grandmothers."

Meanwhile, the Justice and Memory Foundation, which had a falling out with Grandmother Lee over allegations of accounting fraud, held a separate press conference after the ruling and stated, "It is utterly unacceptable." The foundation pointed out, "It is hard to accept the part that denies state immunity, and although the Constitutional Court clearly stated in 2015 that the Korea-Japan agreement cannot be a legal procedural right, the decision contradicts that." Furthermore, they criticized the court, saying, "What is even more regrettable is that Grandmother Lee appeared in person today, but throughout the one-hour ruling, there was not a single word about restoring the dignity of the victims as human beings, which is the reason for their claims," and added, "The court prioritized national interests over victims' human rights or the filing of the lawsuit."

The Justice and Memory Foundation added, "History will record today’s ruling, which ignored the desperate pleas of the victims and abandoned its duty as the 'last bastion of human rights,' with shame." They also urged, "This ruling does not nullify the significance of the January ruling. Japan must fully comply with the January ruling." Regarding the possibility of appeal, the foundation said, "We will discuss with the grandmothers. We will do everything we can until the end."