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Attorneys representing Korean victims of forced labor under Japanese firms during the colonial occupation head the Nippon Steel and Sumitomo Metal headquarters in Tokyo on Dec. 4

Legal representatives of victims of forced labor mobilization during the Japanese occupation plan to visit the Tokyo headquarters of Nippon Steel and Sumitomo Metal on Feb. 15 to deliver a request urging compliance with a South Korean Supreme Court ruling ordering compensation.

Legal representatives from the Haemaru Law Firm and members of the groups Association for Requesting Compensation for the Pacific War Victims and Association to Support Trials for Nippon Steel Conscripted Labor announced on Feb. 14 that they would be visiting Nippon Steel’s Tokyo headquarters the following day to “request a meeting to discuss methods of complying with [the company’s] obligation to pay damages in accordance with the Supreme Court ruling and follow-up measures to restore the rights of the victims, including a compensation delivery ceremony.”

Attorneys representing the forced mobilization victims previously visited the Nippon Steel headquarters in Tokyo on Nov. 12 and Dec. 4 of last year to request meetings, but were turned away both times. If the Feb. 15 request is also refused, the attorneys plan to submit a court request for an order to dispose of seized PNR stock ck shares of Nippon Steel. In its meeting request for submission to the company, the attorneys wrote, “If the Feb. 15 meeting is once again refused, we will no longer be able to defer compulsory execution procedures [for Nippon Steel’s South Korean assets], which have been delayed for over 100 days since the final Supreme Court ruling.”

“We also intend to proceed with request procedures to order the seizure and sale of seized PNR stock shares for damages in the case of other victims of forced mobilization victims who received provisional execution rulings in lower-court trials,” they added.

In their request, the attorneys expressed “doubts that Nippon Steel would repudiate the ruling in this way had it won its case before the Supreme Court.”

“In view of the passage of over 70 years without any measures taken since the illegal action of labor conscription, as well as the advanced age of the victims, we look forward to [Nippon Steel] taking part in discussions,” they stressed.

The attorneys additionally plan visits on Feb. 15 to the headquarters of the Japanese companies Fujikoshi and Mitsubishi, which were also involved in forced labor mobilization during the Japanese occupation. In response to their request for a meeting, Fujikoshi has stated that it has “no intention of participating in discussions.”

The legal representatives have repeatedly requested talks with Nippon Steel since a South Korean Supreme Court ruling in Oct. 2018 acknowledging the company’s responsibility to victims of forced labor mobilization during the Japanese occupation. But with the company refusing to assume responsibility for damages or even participate in talks in response to the final ruling, the attorneys submitted a court compulsory execution request for the seizure of its assets in South Korea, which was granted. In a bid to leave room for negotiation, the attorneys have yet to request an order for the assets’ disposal.

By Jang Yee-ji, staff reporter

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