Japanese Government Ignores Court Order to Submit Asset List in Comfort Women Lawsuit

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The Japanese government, which lost a damages lawsuit filed by former comfort women victims, has not complied with the court's order to submit a list of assets held in South Korea.

On the 21st, Judge Nam Seong-woo of the Seoul Central District Court's 51st Division attempted to hold a 'property disclosure hearing' to identify seizable assets, but postponed the hearing as the Japanese side did not comply with the property disclosure order.

Last June, the court ordered the Japanese government to disclose its assets, requiring it to submit a list of assets subject to compulsory execution by this date and to appear in court to swear that the contents are truthful.

This procedure follows the final ruling in favor of the plaintiffs in a damages lawsuit filed by 12 former comfort women victims and their families, including the late Grandmother Bae Chun-hee, against Japan. The court intended to seize the damages after receiving the asset list.

Grandmother Bae and others filed a lawsuit against the Japanese government in 2016, demanding 100 million won per person in damages for illegal acts, and won the first trial in January last year. This ruling was upheld as final.

However, the Japanese government did not respond to the lawsuit, citing the principle of 'state immunity' (sovereign immunity), which exempts sovereign states from the jurisdiction of other countries' courts. It also did not respond to the recent property disclosure order.