The Seoul High Court on Thursday overturned a 2021 decision by the Seoul Central District Court, which had dismissed a damages lawsuit filed by victims of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery, citing sovereign immunity. The appellate court ordered Japan to compensate each victim more than $150,000 (200 million won). The victims, often referred to as “comfort women,” had initially filed the lawsuit in 2016.

The appellate court stated that it is reasonable to recognize the jurisdiction of South Korean courts over the defendant Japanese government under customary international law. The court recognized the illegal acts committed by Japan in the mobilization of comfort women and affirmed the need for appropriate compensation. This follows a separate ruling in January, where another court ordered Japan to pay $77,000 (100 million won) each to a different group of 12 victims in a decision rejecting Japan’s sovereign immunity defense for crimes against humanity.