Colonial-era Korean laborers are seeking a court's approval for the sales of local assets of their former Japanese employer after it refused to comply with a court order to compensate them for forced labor decades ago.
The development comes amid growing tensions between South Korea and Japan. Tokyo recently tightened controls on high-tech exports to South Korea, a move Seoul believes is retaliation for the South Korean court rulings last year. Japan says it is not retaliation.
Lawyers and supporters of the Koreans who worked for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries during Japan's 1910-45 occupation of Korea said in a joint statement Tuesday they'll soon ask a South Korean court to authorize the sales of some assets that South Korea has seized from Mitsubishi.
People walk past the company sign of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Tokyo Tuesday, July 16, 2019. Colonial-era Korean laborers are seeking a court approval for the sales of local assets of their former Japanese company as it is refusing to compensate them. Lawyers for Koreans who worked for the Japanese company say they’ll soon request a South Korean court to authorize the sales of some of Mitsubishi’s seized assets in South Korea. (AP PhotoKoji Sasahara)
The assets are some of Mitsubishi's trademark rights and patents.
The lawyers and activists said the have sent three requests for negotiations on the compensation to Mitsubishi but it hasn't responded. Three of their aging plaintiffs died of old age this year, they said.
"We express our deep regret over the fact that our efforts to try to find a rational solution via dialogue for the development of South Korea-Japan ties have foundered repeatedly," their statement said.
A woman walks past the company sign of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Tokyo Tuesday, July 16, 2019. Colonial-era Korean laborers are seeking a court approval for the sales of local assets of their former Japanese company as it is refusing to compensate them. Lawyers for Koreans who worked for the Japanese company say they’ll soon request a South Korean court to authorize the sales of some of Mitsubishi’s seized assets in South Korea. (AP PhotoKoji Sasahara)
If a court approves, Mitsubishi's assets will be put up for auction to raise funds to pay compensation to the former forced laborers. The whole process is expected to take about six months, according to Kim Yeong Hwan, an activist with a group that signed the joint statement.
Such an approval would likely fan antagonisms between with Tokyo at a time when relations are already at their worst in decades.
South Korea has been stepping up pressure on Japan to withdraw the newly imposed trade controls, which require approvals for all sales of certain materials used in many high-tech products.
A woman walks past the company sign of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Tokyo Tuesday, July 16, 2019. Colonial-era Korean laborers are seeking a court approval for the sales of local assets of their former Japanese company as it is refusing to compensate them. Lawyers for Koreans who worked for the Japanese company say they’ll soon request a South Korean court to authorize the sales of some of Mitsubishi’s seized assets in South Korea. (AP PhotoKoji Sasahara)
In his toughest comments yet on the issue, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Monday the measure threatens to shatter economic cooperation between the neighbors and could damage Japan more than South Korea.
Japan says the three materials subject to its export control measure can only be sent to trustworthy trading partners. Japanese officials have suggested there may have been transfers of sensitive materials from South Korea to North Korea in a violation of U.N. sanctions on the North. Seoul has dismissed as groundless such a view and proposed a U.N. investigation on it.
The Japanese trade minister, Hiroshige Seko, rejected Moon's comments.
"From the beginning it was clearly stated that this review was for national security purposes, to appropriately implement export controls," Seko told reporters. "It has been consistently explained from the beginning that this is not a countermeasure and yesterday's remark from President Moon was not on point."
Seko said he did not expect Japanese companies to be harmed by the tighter export controls.
South Korea plans to file a complaint with the World Trade Organization and raise the issue at next week's WTO General Council in Geneva. Trade officials from the countries failed to resolve the dispute in a working-level meeting in Tokyo on Friday.
Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed.
DETROIT (AP) — The Oakland Athletics no longer have to wonder where they'll play the next few seasons. That won't make the long goodbye any easier.
The A's reacted to the announcement that this will be their last year in Oakland with a mixture of sadness and relief.
“At least as a player, you know where you’re headed,” outfielder Seth Brown said Friday before a game against the Tigers in Detroit. “There’s obviously a lot of moving parts, a lot of stuff we’re not privy to, so it’s just been kind of a waiting game on our end. Where are we going to go? Where are we going to be? So I think just having that knowledge -- at least we know where we’re going to be playing next year.”
Vivek Ranadivé, who owns the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, and Oakland Athletics owner John Fisher announced Thursday that the A’s will temporarily relocate to West Sacramento's Sutter Health Park for at least three seasons. The A's are moving to Las Vegas after a new ballpark is constructed.
The River Cats, who are affiliated with the San Francisco Giants, will continue to play at the same facility.
Fisher was unable to reach an agreement with Oakland city officials on extending the lease at Oakland Coliseum, which expires at the end of this season. The A's have played in the city since 1968.
“There's direction now, which we've talked a lot about,” Oakland A's manager Mark Kotsay said. “We've got time to kind of reflect on what this really means from an organizational standpoint, the history that we've had in Oakland, with this being now the final season. There's a lot of emotion that goes behind this.”
It will not only cause some upheaval for the players and staff but also members of the organization that work behind the scenes.
“At the end of the day, we know where we're going to be for the next three seasons after the finish this year and that in itself gives a little bit of stability,” Kotsay said. “At the same time, in the present, it's challenging in certain ways to think about the finality of this organization in Oakland.”
Sacramento will be a much smaller environment to house a major league team. Ranadivé said the River Cats venue currently seats 16,000 when counting the stands, the lawn behind center field and standing room only.
First baseman Ryan Noda is concerned with the facilities. He's hopeful that significant upgrades will be made, much like the Toronto Blue Jays did at Buffalo's Triple-A facility. The Blue Jays played at Buffalo's Sahlen Field in 2020 in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“New walls, new dugouts, new locker rooms — everything they needed to become a big league stadium,” said Noda, who played some games in Sacramento as a minor leaguer. “As long as we can do something like that, then it'll be all right. But it's definitely going to be different than playing in stadiums that hold 40,000 people.”
Kotsay is confident the upgrades will occur.
“I know it will be of major league baseball quality,” he said. “It's has to be of major league baseball quality. I know the Players Association will make sure that takes place, as they did in Buffalo.”
For the rest of this season, the A's will have to deal with small home crowds and disappointed fans.
“We’re sad for the fans, the diehard fans, who always come to our games, always support us, always support the boys wearing the jersey,” Noda said.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadive, center, shakes hands John Fisher, owner of the Oakland Athletics, before the start of a news conference where Fisher announced his team will leave Oakland after this season and play temporarily at a minor league park, during a news conference in West Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, April 4 2024.The A's announced the decision to play at the home of the Sacramento River Cats from 2025-27 with an option for 2028 on Thursday after being unable to reach an agreement to extend their lease in Oakland during that time. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
John Fisher, owner of the Oakland Athletics baseball team, announces that his team will leave Oakland after this season and play temporarily at a minor league park, during a news conference in West Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, April 4, 2024. The A's announced the decision to play at the home of the Sacramento River Cats from 2025-27 with an option for 2028 on Thursday after being unable to reach an agreement to extend their lease in Oakland during that time. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
Sutter Health Park, home of the Triple A team Sacramento River Cats, is shown in West Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, April 4, 2024. The Oakland Athletics announced the decision to play at the home of the Sacramento River Cats from 2025-27 with an option for 2028 on Thursday after being unable to reach an agreement to extend their lease in Oakland during that time. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
Oakland Athletics manager Mark Kotsay walks to the dugout after making a pitching change during the eighth inning of the team's baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, March 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
