Japan-South Korea Defamation Case 2025

In 2025, South Korean resident Lee Yu-na, a university student in Tokyo, filed a tort claim for damages at the Tokyo District Court against Japanese far-right activist Sakurai Makoto. Sakurai posted a video on social media labeling Lee as a "criminal Korean spy" and leaked her personal information, triggering severe online harassment and death threats. Lee sued for defamation and emotional distress, demanding 30 million yen in compensation. The case drew international attention as it intertwined Japan’s hate speech regulations with the protection of foreign nationals' rights under civil tort law.

The Tokyo District Court ruled in favor of the plaintiff in 2026, ordering Sakurai to pay 12 million yen in damages, finding the "spy" accusation constituted defamation per se with malicious intent.

Whether Sakurai’s online statements constituted illegal defamation under Article 709 of the Japanese Civil Code, and whether calling a foreign national a "spy" without evidence exceeded the limits of free expression, thus warranting heightened damages for ethnic discrimination.

The ruling established a civil law precedent in Japan for combating online hate speech against ethnic Koreans, prompting legislative discussions on strengthening intermediary liability for social media platforms and improving cross-border enforcement of defamation judgments between Japan and South Korea.