VOA慢速英语--韩国法院驳回前慰安妇要求日本赔偿的诉讼

South Korean Court Rejects Comfort Women’s Claims

A South Korean court on Wednesday rejected a claim by victims of Japanese wartime sexual slavery and their relatives. The group was seeking payment from Japan's government.

The Seoul Central District Court said its decision was based on rules of international law that give countries protection from the authority of foreign courts. Japan says all wartime payment issues were settled under a 1965 treaty that provided $500 million in economic aid to South Korea.

Activists¹ representing sexual slavery victims said in a statement that the claimants would appeal the decision. They also said that the court had ignored their struggle to restore the victims' honor and self-respect.

Katsunobu Kabo is Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary. He noted² the decision conflicted with a January ruling in a separate case that found the Japanese government responsible for paying sexual slavery victims. In that case, the court called for Japan's government to give 100 million won, about $89,000 each to a group of 12 women.

Kato said he would not comment on the new ruling before examining the details more closely. But he said that Japan's position on the sexual slavery issue remains³ unchanged. He said the earlier court ruling violated international law and was unacceptable.

"Japan continues to strongly ask South Korea to take appropriate steps in order to correct the state of international violation," he said.

The court in Seoul said international law and earlier rulings from South Korea's Supreme⁴ Court make it clear that foreign governments should be protected from civil legal cases in respect of their sovereignty.

The court also noted that the countries never officially withdrew from a 2015 agreement that attempted to settle their dispute over the issue. Some Korean victims accepted payments from a Japanese-supported organization created by the deal. This shows it is possible for the countries to settle their dispute diplomatically, the court said.

South Korea's Foreign Ministry⁵ said it would not make comments on Wednesday's ruling before examining the details. The ministry urged Japan to act in line with its past statements, including a 1993 statement in which it first admitted forcing women into sexual slavery.

The 20 claimants in the case include four women who were forced to work as sex slaves during World War II and relatives of other women who have since died.

One of the claimants is 92-year-old Lee Yong-soo. She has been campaigning for South Korea and Japan to settle the sexual slavery issue by seeking a judgment⁶ from the U.N.'s International Court of Justice.

She says it has become clear the issue cannot be settled through talks or rulings by South Korean courts that have been repeatedly rejected by the Japanese government. She adds that the tension between the governments has hurt friendships between citizens.

"Regardless of the verdict, we will go to the International Court of Justice," she told reporters after Wednesday's ruling.

Tens of thousands of women across Japanese-occupied Asia and the Pacific were forcibly moved to areas used by the Japanese military during World War II. About 240 South Korean women registered with the government as victims of sexual slavery by Japan's wartime military. Only 15 of them are still alive.

The human rights group Amnesty International criticized Wednesday's ruling. In a statement the group said the court failed to provide "justice to the remaining survivors⁷ of this military slavery system and to those who suffered these atrocities⁸ before and during World War II."

South Korea and Japan have also argued over South Korean court rulings that called for Japanese companies to pay Koreans forced to work in Japanese factories during World War II.

Words in This Story

atrocity⁹ – n. a very cruel or terrible act or action

authority – n. the power to give orders or make decisions : the power or right to direct or control someone or something

appropriate – adj. right or suited for some purpose or situation

honor – n. right or suited for some purpose or situation

verdict – n. the decision made by a jury in a tria

1 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

3 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

4 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

5 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

6 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

7 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

8 atrocities   

n.邪恶，暴行( atrocity的名词复数 )；滔天大罪

参考例句：

• They were guilty of the most barbarous and inhuman atrocities. 他们犯有最野蛮、最灭绝人性的残暴罪行。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The enemy's atrocities made one boil with anger. 敌人的暴行令人发指。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 atrocity   

n.残暴，暴行

参考例句：

• These people are guilty of acts of great atrocity.这些人犯有令人发指的暴行。
• I am shocked by the atrocity of this man's crimes.这个人行凶手段残忍狠毒使我震惊。