Crime & Courts

S. Korean Court Approves Seizure of Hitachi Zosen Funds

REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji
A view of South Korean national flag

Jiji Press

17:04 JST, January 25, 2024

SEOUL (Jiji Press) — A South Korean court has approved the seizure of funds that Japan’s Hitachi Zosen Corp. deposited with a court over a wartime labor lawsuit, the plaintiff side’s lawyer said Wednesday.

The plaintiff side filed for the seizure of the deposit on Jan. 10, hoping to receive it after South Korea’s Supreme Court in December finalized a ruling ordering the major heavy machinery maker to pay 50 million won as compensation over conscripted labor during World War II.

If the plaintiff side receives the money, it would be the first case of funds from a Japanese company being transferred to plaintiffs in wartime labor cases, albeit indirectly.

Hitachi Zosen officials said the company cannot comment on its response to the latest court decision.