COURT ORDERS MITSUBISHI ASSETS TO BE SOLD

[Anchor Lead]

Japanese companies still refuse to compensate the Korean victims of wartime forced labor even three years after the Supreme Court ordered them to do so. A Korean district court has eventually ordered that the assets of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Korea be sold. The Japanese government immediately lashed out at the court's decision.

[Pkg]

In 1944, one year before Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule, this woman was deceived by a Japanese school principal into going to Japan to study when she was just 13. She ended up toiling at a military factory more than ten hours a day without receiving a penny for her labor. In November 2018, the Supreme Court ordered Japanese companies to pay compensation to the victims of forced labor. But Mitsubishi still refuses not only to compensate them but even to apologize for causing their suffering.

[Soundbite] Yang Keum-deok(93, Victim of Japanese wartime forced labor) : "They should at least apologize to me while I'm still alive. Then I can die in peace."

As the firm still refuses to compensate the victims, the court has ordered that its trademarks and patent rights in Korea be seized. Mitsubishi appealed against the ruling, but the Supreme Court dismissed it. Later, the Daejeon District Court issued an order to liquidate Mitsubishi's assets. If the company's assets are sold, the victims who participated in the lawsuit will be able to receive about 200 million won each.

[Soundbite] Kim Jung-hee(Victims' attorney) : "The victims and I hope that the company does not appeal the decision, but rather accept it."

The Japanese government lashed out at the court's ruling immediately and summoned the consul of the South Korean embassy in Japan to lodge a protest.

[Soundbite] Katsunobu Kato(Chief Cabinet Secretary) : "It's highly regrettable that the court issued such a decision knowing that Japan wants to avoid selling the companies' assets."

Seoul's foreign ministry says it's open to any propositions on how to resolve the matter. It also expressed hope that Tokyo will show a sincere attitude toward finding a fundamental solution that the victims can agree with.