A Seoul court on Wednesday began hearing a long-awaited civil case filed against the Japanese government by South Korean women who were forced to work in Japan's World War II military brothels.
The trial at the Seoul Central District Court proceeded with empty seats in the defendant's dock because Japan has refused to participate in the case, saying that its sovereign immunity shields it from lawsuits in other countries, according to court officials and the plaintiffs' lawyers.
A group of 20 former sex slaves and relatives filed the suit in 2016 seeking compensation of 200 million won ($171,000) each, but the process was delayed after the Japanese government refused to receive copies of the complaint.
Former South Korean comfort women, Lee Yong-soo, center, Lee Ok-seon and Gil Won-ok, right, leave the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019. A Seoul court on Wednesday began hearing a long-awaited civil case filed against the Japanese government by South Korean women who were forced to work in Japan's World War II military brothels. (AP PhotoAhn Young-joon)
Japan insists that all compensation matters were settled by a 1965 treaty that normalized relations between the countries and has accused South Korea of repeatedly opening the book on issues that were supposed to be settled.
The case comes amid a deep row between Seoul and Tokyo over wartime history, triggered by a ruling by South Korea's Supreme Court last year that called for Japanese companies to offer reparations to aging South Korean plaintiffs for their World War II forced labor.
The dispute escalated into a trade war that saw both countries downgrade the other's trade status, and then spilled over to military matters when Seoul threatened to end a 2016 military intelligence-sharing agreement with Tokyo.
Former South Korean comfort woman Lee Yong-soo, center, speaks before leaving the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019. A Seoul court on Wednesday began hearing a long-awaited civil case filed against the Japanese government by South Korean women who were forced to work in Japan's World War II military brothels. (AP PhotoAhn Young-joon)
"The Japanese government must repent," Lee Ok-seon, a former sex slave, said at a news conference shortly before the trial began. "They kidnapped innocent kids and inflicted irreversible damages and they must repent. They must sincerely apologize."
It's not immediately clear how long the case will take. The court will rely solely on the plaintiffs' legal arguments before making a verdict.
In an opinion submitted to the court on Tuesday, Amnesty International said a statute of limitations and Japan's sovereign immunity should not be applicable to serious human rights violations and war crimes like military sexual slavery. The group also cited the South Korean Supreme Court ruling on forced laborers that said the 1965 treaty doesn't block individual claims for reparations.
Former South Korean comfort women, Lee Yong-soo, left, Lee Ok-seon and Gil Won-ok, right, leave the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019. A Seoul court on Wednesday began hearing a long-awaited civil case filed against the Japanese government by South Korean women who were forced to work in Japan's World War II military brothels. (AP PhotoAhn Young-joon)
Under South Korea's previous conservative government, the countries attempted to settle their decades-long row over sexual slavery in 2015 when the reached an agreement for Tokyo to fund 1 billion yen ($9 million) to a Seoul-based foundation to help support victims.
The deal was hugely unpopular in South Korea, where many people criticized their government for settling for far too less and accused Tokyo of attempting to silence the victims with money. The government of South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who took office in 2017, took steps to dissolve the foundation, saying that the deal lacked legitimacy because officials failed to properly communicate with victims before reaching it.
About 240 South Korean women came forward and registered with the government as victims of sexual slavery by Japan's wartime military, but only 20 are still alive.
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)
