Tokyo Court Orders N. Korea to Pay Damages over Repatriation Program

Tokyo, Jan. 26 (Jiji Press)--Tokyo District Court on Monday ordered the North Korean government to pay 88 million yen in compensation to a total of four North Korean defectors and bereaved relatives in Japan over its alleged human rights abuses linked to the country's repatriation program decades ago.

The ruling compares with the plaintiffs' demand for a total of 400 million yen in damages from the North Korean government.

The plaintiffs claimed that defectors were not allowed to leave North Korea after moving there as part of the repatriation program, in which Pyongyang advertised the country as "heaven on earth" where basic necessities such as clothing, food and shelter were guaranteed.

At the Tokyo court, Presiding Judge Taiichi Kamino recognized the case as continued unlawful acts by the North Korean government against the plaintiffs. "It's not an exaggeration to say that they were deprived of most of their lives," Kamino said.

The judge acknowledged that those who moved to North Korea had no choice but to live under harsh conditions for a long time, as Pyongyang did not allow them to leave the country freely.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]