Seventy-nine South Korean victims of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki filed a suit Monday with the Seoul District Court, seeking compensation worth 10 million won (about $8,990) for each person from the South Korean government.
The group of survivors said in a statement that the South Korean government has not taken any action since the Supreme Court ruled in 2011 that it is unconstitutional for the government not to try to arrange negotiations with the Japanese government.
"The South Korean and Japanese governments should hold talks to clarify whether responsibility for compensating (the South Korean victims) rests with the Japanese government or had been transferred to the South Korean government," said Choi Bong-tae, a lawyer for the plaintiffs.