On the 3rd, Japan's Gunma Prefecture reportedly charged a civic group for the demolition costs of a Korean memorial monument that was removed through administrative enforcement, according to the Asahi Shimbun.
According to the report, Gunma Prefecture charged the civic group "Association to Protect the Memorial for Remembrance, Reflection, and Friendship" 20.62 million yen (approximately 180 million KRW) for the demolition of the Korean memorial monument located in Gunma Prefectural Park "Gunma no Mori."
Gunma Prefecture notified the group to pay the amount by the 8th. The Asahi Shimbun reported that detailed statements were not provided.
The Korean memorial monument removed by Gunma Prefecture was installed in 2004 by a Japanese civic group to promote understanding of the history between the Korean Peninsula and Japan and to foster friendship between the two countries. Gunma Prefecture refused to renew the installation permit after a participant mentioned "forced mobilization" at the 2012 memorial service, and the Supreme Court of Japan ruled that this decision was lawful.
When the civic group did not comply with the demand to remove the monument, Gunma Prefecture forcibly carried out the demolition in early February through administrative enforcement. The civic group stated they will "discuss responses with lawyers."
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