State Compensation Lawsuit by Korean Forced Labor Bereaved Families

On March 14, 2025, the Tokyo District Court handed down its ruling in the case Reiwa 3 (Wa) No. 517. The plaintiffs were Lee Jong-geun and four other South Korean nationals, all bereaved family members of men who had been forcibly mobilized to labor for Japanese firms during World War II. They argued that the Japanese government had failed to ensure adequate post-war compensation and sought a total of 50 million yen in damages. The court dismissed all claims, holding that the 1965 Agreement on the Settlement of Problems Concerning Property and Claims between Japan and the Republic of Korea had definitively and completely settled the matter, extinguishing any individual right to seek damages against the state. The 2025 decision, following the lawsuit filed in 2021, reinforced Japan's long-standing legal position and underscored the persistent friction over wartime history.

The Tokyo District Court dismissed all claims brought by the plaintiffs, ruling that the 1965 Agreement finally and completely resolved all compensation issues, and that the Japanese state was under no further obligation to pay damages.

Whether the Japanese government bears liability under state tort law for its alleged failure to provide compensation to former Korean forced laborers, and whether the 1965 bilateral claims agreement extinguishes the individual right to claim damages against Japan.

The ruling reignited public debate and protest in South Korea regarding unresolved colonial-era injustices, placed additional strain on already delicate bilateral relations, and was widely regarded as a legal and diplomatic setback for victims’ groups and activists seeking acknowledgement and further reparations from Japan.