Two trials of a former comfort woman seeking compensation from the Japanese government in South Korea have begun in Seoul.
The Government of Japan has not attended the first trial, as the proceedings are not permitted under international law.
In a trial in South Korea where a former comfort woman and others are seeking compensation from the Japanese government, the district court in Seoul said in April last year that the sovereign state would not be subject to the jurisdiction of other countries under international law. The plaintiff appealed, dismissing the complaint, showing that the principle of "sovereign immunity" would apply.
In a two-trial argument that began on the 24th at the High Court in Seoul, the plaintiffs insisted that "the Japanese government has denied the comfort women issue and has not acknowledged responsibility," and has indicated its position to seek compensation.
On the other hand, the Japanese government has not attended the first trial and the second trial from the standpoint of "sovereign immunity".
Regarding the comfort women issue, in another trial, the district court in Seoul handed down a ruling ordering compensation to the Japanese government in January last year, and different judicial decisions have been made in South Korea.
The Japanese government has completely and finally resolved the issue of property and claims between Japan and South Korea, including the comfort women issue, in the 1965 Claims Agreement, and the 2015 Japan-Korea Agreement on the comfort women issue. The two governments have confirmed "an irreversible solution" and are repeatedly requesting the Korean government to take appropriate measures.