Landmark Tokyo Ruling: Compensation Ordered for North Korea Migrants

Sat Jan 31 2026 17:29:41 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A Tokyo court has mandated North Korea to pay compensation to four individuals affected by a propaganda scheme that lured them to the country decades ago, recognizing their suffering and rights violations.

In a historic ruling, a Tokyo court has ordered North Korea to compensate four former migrants lured by promises of a better life. Initially marketed as 'paradise on Earth', they instead faced harsh conditions and forced labor. Although the ruling holds symbolic value with little chance of enforcement, it represents a significant recognition of the rights violations endured by Zainichi Koreans. The case sheds light on a dark chapter of history where hope was replaced with hardship.

A Tokyo court has ordered North Korea to pay 88 million Japanese yen ($570,000; £416,000) to four individuals who were lured to the country decades ago by a propaganda scheme.

The plaintiffs alleged that North Korea was marketed to them as 'paradise on Earth', yet they faced harsh realities, including forced labor, after moving there. The ruling, passed on Monday, is largely symbolic, as North Korea has historically ignored such lawsuits, and its leader, Kim Jong Un, has not acknowledged the court summons.

However, this decision has been hailed by the plaintiffs' lawyer as 'historic', marking the first time a Japanese court has asserted its sovereignty against North Korea while acknowledging its malpractice, as reported by Atsushi Shiraki.

Between 1959 and 1984, more than 90,000 Zainichi Koreans—ethnic Koreans in Japan—migrated to North Korea under a resettlement scheme that promised an enjoyable life filled with healthcare, education, and jobs. In contrast, survivors report being forced to toil in farms and factories under stringent restrictions, with little hope of leaving.

Eiko Kawasaki, one plaintiff who moved to North Korea in 1960 at the age of 17, eventually escaped in 2003 and is now 83. She was part of a group of five plaintiffs who initiated the lawsuit in 2018. Unfortunately, two original plaintiffs have passed away, but their families continue to advocate in court.

In 2022, a Tokyo district court dismissed their claims, deeming them outside of Japanese jurisdiction and citing limitations. However, in 2023, the Tokyo High Court ruled that the case was indeed under Japanese jurisdiction and recognized the rights violations by North Korea.

'It's not an overstatement to say that most of their lives were ruined by North Korea,' remarked Judge Taiichi Kamino during Monday's ruling, according to the Associated Press.

Though the significance of the ruling wasn't lost on those involved, attorney Kenji Fukuda cautioned that actually securing any compensation from North Korea will pose a considerable challenge.