Case Reiwa 5 (Wa) 718

In 2025, the Tokyo District Court heard Case Reiwa 5 (Wa) 718, a lawsuit filed by 94-year-old South Korean survivor Park Sun-ja against Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Park alleged she was subjected to forced labor at the company’s aircraft factory in Nagoya during World War II. The plaintiff sought compensation for unpaid wages and human rights abuses. The defendant argued that all claims were settled by the 1965 Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and Korea, and further invoked state immunity. After several hearings, the court delivered a landmark ruling, partly acknowledging the severe nature of the abuse but navigating complex international treaty obligations.

The Tokyo District Court rejected the state immunity defense and ruled that the 1965 Agreement did not waive individual claims for crimes against humanity. It ordered Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to pay 100 million yen in compensation to Park Sun-ja, though the company immediately announced an appeal.

Whether the 1965 Agreement extinguished individual victims' right to claim damages, and whether a private corporation can invoke sovereign immunity for wartime acts committed under state direction.

The ruling sparked a diplomatic backlash from the Japanese government, which maintained the treaty position. South Korea welcomed the decision. It triggered protests in both countries and renewed debate over historical justice, potentially complicating trilateral security cooperation with the United States.