The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a damages suit against the government by Korean wartime sex slaves and former Korean soldiers forced to serve the Imperial Japanese Army during the war.
The ruling was handed down in only two minutes, and plaintiffs shouted their dissatisfaction with the decision. Some even climbed over the barrier of the gallery seats and headed toward the justices' seats before being stopped by guards.
The ruling puts an end to a 13-year legal battle by the 35 plaintiffs, including relatives of victims who have died, who were seeking 20 million yen each in compensation from the government for their suffering.