Wartime sexual slavery victims file for Japanese govt. asset disclosure

Victims of Japan's wartime military sexual slavery and their bereaved families filed a legal request with the court on Friday to verify the details of assets owned by the Japanese government in South Korea, in a bid to secure compensation following their civil lawsuit victory last November.

Justice for the Comfort Women, a Seoul-based civic group advocating for Korean victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery, announced that the victims and their families had submitted the request under the Civil Execution Act to the Seoul Central District Court.

The aim is to identify and assess Japanese government-owned assets that could potentially be seized for compensation. Such assets typically include embassy buildings, consulates, cultural centers and financial investments.

"The Japanese government is refusing to take responsibility for compensation. We express regret that the victims now find themselves in a situation where they have no choice but to file for the disclosure of assets as a preliminary step to enforcing the ruling," the civic group said in a press release. "We strongly urge the Japanese government to respect the victims' human rights and take action to fulfill its legal responsibilities."

The civil group called on the South Korean government to "make diplomatic efforts to ensure that the victims' legitimate rights are realized."

The announcement of the legal request for asset disclosure coincided with the arrival of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Seoul on the same day for a meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.

The legal request follows a pivotal court ruling in November last year. The Seoul High Court ordered Japan to pay the compensation requested by 16 victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery during World War II: 200 million won ($150,000) to each complainant. The ruling was finalized as Japan did not appeal.

According to the civic group, following their legal victory last November, representatives of the victims sent a notice, including the ruling, via international express mail to Kishida, Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Justice Minister Ryuji Koizumi on May 23. The notice was confirmed to have been delivered on May 27, but they have ignored it up to this point, the group said.

Property specification is a legal procedure used to verify assets that can be seized when a debtor fails to meet their obligations.

When a request for disclosure of assets is justifiably well-grounded, the court may order the debtor to submit a detailed property catalog specifying their asset status. Once a date is set for the disclosure, this catalog, along with information on any transactions within a specific period, must be submitted. The debtor must then appear in court and swear to the truthfulness of the list.