Since the 1955's, five men and women have been compensated by the North Korean government for being forced to live a harsh life for a long time in a "return project" in which Koreans living in Japan and Japanese wives went to North Korea. A trial was held at the Tokyo District Court on the 14th.

According to lawyers, this is the first time a trial has been held against the North Korean government.

Five men and women who have moved to North Korea for a "return project" and then defected to live in Japan are suing.



In the "return project" that lasted for 25 years from 1959, about 93,000 people, including Koreans living in Japan and Japanese wives, went to North Korea.



At that time, the five people were seeking compensation of 500 million yen from the North Korean government, saying that they were forced to live a harsh life due to lack of sufficient food.

On the 14th, the first trial was held at the Tokyo District Court, where the plaintiffs were cross-examined.



Of these, Eiko Kawasaki, who went to North Korea when she was a teenager, said, "North Korea was repeatedly said to be a'paradise on earth'and was rubbed in. At first, I was able to move freely within the country. Gradually, I was restricted, and even the distribution of corn and potatoes was gone. "



According to the defense team, it was the first time that a trial against North Korea was held, and the schedule was posted in front of the court to inform the North Korean government, which has no diplomatic relations, but the North Korean side The trial ended in a single trial.



The ruling will be handed down on March 23, next year.

Plaintiff "I want to keep fighting"

After the trial, five plaintiffs met, and Eiko Kawasaki said, "For more than 40 years since I moved to North Korea 61 years ago, I have lived a life where I do not know when I will die. Finally, the North Korean government is called a trial. I was able to put it on the balance of justice, but I would like to continue fighting until the day when the people who crossed the return project can freely come and go with Japan and meet their families. "