OSAKA -- Two Koreans employed at a Japanese steel factory during World War II filed a lawsuit with the Osaka District Court Wednesday demanding that the national government and Nippon Steel Corp. pay them the arrears of their wages.
Sin Chon Ju, 71, and Yo Un Taek, 74, applied for jobs offered by the former body of Nippon Steel in 1943 and worked at factories in Osaka and on the Korean Peninsula for a few years until the war ended in 1945. Both laborers were based in Seoul.
The two claim that they did not receive most of their wages while working at the steel companies, but were forced to save the money in postal deposit accounts. They are seeking the current value of the unpaid wages, an estimated 3 million yen each, and 15 million yen each in compensation, according to a plaintiffs' document.
Takeo Matsumoto, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said refusing to pay the wages is tantamount to violating the Koreans' human rights. The national government should have asked Japanese companies to pay former workers their unpaid wages, he added.
"When the war ended, both plaintiffs were on the Korean Peninsula and (it) seemed impossible to demand their wages at that time," said Matsumoto. "Even though this problem happened decades ago, they cannot tolerate it."
Meanwhile, Yo told a press conference that he wants his money back. "Working at a steel factory for two years, I went through a really tough time with little food provided," he said. "I don't understand why we have yet to receive the rewards for work (done) 50 years ago."