Japanese lawyers sign joint statement on the Korean Supreme Court's decision on compensation for forced labor

日 변호사 등 100여명 "개인청구권 소멸되지 않았다" 공동성명...日의원들 "강제징용 판결 수용 불가Last week, Tokyo's government said it cannot accept the South Korean Supreme Court's ruling that a Japanese company has to pay compensation to Koreans forced to work for it during World War Two.Lawyers and scholars in that country are now pointing out Tokyo's stance is unhelpful, and that forced labor is an issue of human rights.Seo Bo-bin has the full story. Over one-hundred Japanese lawyers and scholars have issued a statement criticizing the Japanese government's response to the South Korean Supreme Court's decision on the compensation for forced labor.Attorneys Shiro Kawakami and Seita Yamamoto announced on Tuesday a joint statement together with 1-hundred other lawyers and scholars at the Tokyo House of Councilors stating that the issue of compensation for victims of forced labor is a human rights issue, and any agreement that doesn't satisfy the victims or nations involved is not a helpful solution.The statement also said that individual rights to claims under the Korea-Japan Jurisdiction Agreement have not been terminated and that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's claim that individuals' rights to compensation had been completely resolved is misleading. It also said Japanese companies that are sued in South Korea over the issue should provide more support for the victims. But Japanese congressman Yasuhisa Shiozaki, who visited Korea's National Assembly said he cannot accept the decision since it involves overturning the legal basis of the relationship between Korea and Japan, and said that Seoul should correct what he says is a 'violation of international law'.Seo Bo-bin, Arirang News.