Eiko Kawasaki, now 83, left Japan for North Korea at 17, lured by the promise of a “paradise on earth.” Instead, she faced severe hardships, including denial of basic rights and a lack of access to family in Japan. Recently, a Tokyo court ordered the North Korean government to compensate four former settlers, including Kawasaki, with at least 20 million yen each, marking a significant acknowledgement of the government’s wrongdoings.
From 1959 to 1984, over 90,000 ethnic Koreans were recruited under false pretenses, many experiencing conditions akin to state-sanctioned kidnapping. Though the ruling is historic, enforcement is unlikely as North Korea is expected to ignore it. Efforts to recover compensation may involve seizing North Korean assets in Japan. The case highlights Japan’s historical complicity in the recruitment process, which was portrayed as humanitarian support for Koreans facing discrimination in Japan. Kawasaki, who escaped North Korea in 2003, remains unable to contact some of her children since the border closure due to the pandemic.
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