Korean Court Rules Japan Must Compensate Sex Slaves

The Seoul Central District Court ruled Friday that Japan must compensate wartime sex slaves for the Japanese imperial army during World War II.

The court ordered Tokyo to pay W100 million each to a dozen victims.

"Evidence and testimonies show that the victims suffered from extreme, unimaginable mental and physical pain… but no compensation has been made for their suffering," the court said in a verdict.

The ruling came some eight years after the plaintiffs or their families filed arguing they were either duped or forced into sexual slavery.

Only five of the 12 plaintiffs are still alive, and only 16 surviving victims are registered with the government. Around 200,000 women, mostly Koreans, were forced to serve as sex slaves for Japanese troops during the war.

The latest ruling is expected to further fray already icy bilateral relations after a similar ruling on victims of forced labor.

As soon as the ruling was made, Japan summoned Korean Ambassador Nam Gwan-pyo to protest.