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Yang Geum-deok, a former labor conscript for Mitsubishi during Japan’s colonial occupation of Korea, smiles as she meets with lawmakers at the launch ceremony on Feb. 16 for a gathering of lawmakers calling for Japan to formally apologize to victims of forced labor and offending corporations to pay damages directly. (Shin So-young/The Hankyoreh)

Yang Geum-deok, 93, a labor conscript during Japan’s colonial rule over Korea, left her home in Gwangju on Thursday and headed to the National Assembly in Seoul to attend the launch of a group of lawmakers who are calling for Japan to apologize for the victimization of Korean workers and for the Japanese perpetrator companies to compensate the victims directly.

Yang, who worked for Mitsubishi as part of the Korean Women’s Volunteer Labor Corps, has prevailed over Mitsubishi in Korean courts eight times since 2012, including in a damages lawsuit, a lawsuit asking for the seizure of Mitsubishi’s trademark rights and patent rights in Korea, and a lawsuit asking for the forced liquidation of those seized assets (the Supreme Court’s ruling is pending in this last case). Nevertheless, she has yet to receive any compensation or apology.

Yang Geum-deok speaks at the launch ceremony on Feb. 16 for a gathering of lawmakers calling for Japan to formally apologize to victims of forced labor and offending corporations to pay damages directly. (Shin So-young/The Hankyoreh)

After Mitsubishi Heavy Industries refused to carry out the Supreme Court’s order to compensate Yang at the culmination of her damages lawsuit in 2018, Yang filed a lawsuit asking for the seizure and liquidation of the Japanese companies’ assets in Korea (which consist of trademark rights).

In July 2022, while Yang was waiting for the Supreme Court to make its decision in that lawsuit, Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs asked the Supreme Court panel in charge to postpone judgment in the case. Then in December of the same year, the ministry put the brakes on the planned conferral of the Order of Civil Merit on Yang.

Yang Geum-deok watches footage of herself and other victims of Japan’s forced labor testify about their experience while attending the launch ceremony on Feb. 16 for a gathering of lawmakers calling for Japan to formally apologize to victims of forced labor and offending corporations to pay damages directly. (Shin So-young/The Hankyoreh)

Finally, the Korean government held a public debate about solutions to the forced labor issue on Jan. 12 in which it announced a plan to compensate the victims with donations from Korean companies, without any apology or donations from the Japanese perpetrator companies.

That prompted Yang to criticize the Korean government.

“I may starve to death, but I’ll never take any money from Korea. I’m going to get that money from Japan, since that’s where I went to suffer. I can’t figure out whether the government and the president are on Japan’s side or on our side,” she said.

Despite being over 90 years of age, Yang stood up straight without assistance and addressed the audience in a ringing voice.

“You are the heroes of this country. Let’s join together so that we can achieve a great victory. I’m never going to give up.”

This is a collection of photographs of the Thursday event at which lawmakers and civic groups pledged to work together to deal with this issue while the victims are still alive so that Yang’s appeal will not be in vain.

Yang Geum-deok and lawmakers pose with banners calling on Japan to offer a formal apology to victims of its forced labor conscription, the direct compensation of victims by offending Japanese corporations, and the withdrawal of the Korean government’s roundabout plan for compensation at the launch ceremony on Feb. 16 for a gathering of lawmakers aimed at working on the issue. (Shin So-young/The Hankyoreh)

Yang Geum-deok, a former labor conscript for Mitsubishi during Japan’s colonial occupation of Korea, smiles as she meets with lawmakers at the launch ceremony on Feb. 16 for a gathering of lawmakers calling for Japan to formally apologize to victims of forced labor and offending corporations to pay damages directly. (Shin So-young/The Hankyoreh)

apanese broadcaster NHK’s camera captures the launch ceremony on Feb. 16 for a gathering of lawmakers calling for Japan to formally apologize to victims of forced labor and offending corporations to pay damages directly. (Shin So-young/The Hankyoreh)

By Shin So-young, staff reporter

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