South Korean Court Reverses 2018 Order on “Comfort Women,” Compensates 12 WWII Sex Slaves

IMPORTANT: The full content of this page is available to premium users only.

Saturday, January 23, 2021
Author: 
Julia V. Brock
Volume: 
37
Issue: 
1
Abstract: 

The Seoul Central District Court ordered Japan’s government to pay reparations to the families of 12 women forced to work as sex slaves, also called “comfort women,” during Japan’s colonization of Korea. It is estimated that tens of thousands of women, many from South Korea, were forced into sex slavery by Japanese soldiers and officials between 1910 and 1945. The court ordered the Japanese government to pay reparations worth 100 million won (roughly $91, 300 USD) each to the families of 12 women forced into sex slavery. Only five of the women are still alive today. The Seoul Central District Court called the forced sexual slavery of the women by Japan's military during the war "a crime against humanity."[1]



[1] Nuyen, Suzanne, “South Korean Court Orders Japan To Compensate 12 WWII Sex Slaves,” Jan. 8, 2021, NPR, https://www.npr.org/2021/01/08/954790836/south-korean-court-orders-japan-to-compensate-12-wwii-sex-slaves.