`Reparations for Drafted Workers Killed in Return Ship Explosion`

Japan`s Kyoto District Court decided partly in favor of the demand that the Japanese government immediately pay the consolation money of 3 million yen to each of the 15 survived victims who had filed a lawsuit for the reparations and the official apology of the Japanese government. The victims survived from the explosion of the Japanese ship filled with the returning Korean drafted workers that were heading to the Pusan Harbor. The Court, however, turned down the request for the official apology of the Japanese government.

The case was filed against the Japanese government by the 21 survivors (1 dead after the case began) and the 59 bereaved of the victims of the Ukishimamaru explosion for a total of 3 billion yen in reparations and the official apology of the Japanese government.

The court judged that the Japanese government is guilty of neglecting their responsibility of returning the drafted workers to the Pusan Harbor. The Japanese government pays the sum of 3 million yen each to the victims for their mental sufferings.

The plaintiff side remarked that ``even though we failed to get an official apology of the Japanese government, it is meaningful for us to have a partial win in the case.``

The spokesperson of the defendant, the Japanese government, said that ``it is a painful judgment. The related departments will discuss whether it will appeal.``

The court, however, turned down the cases of 65 other persons since they could not prove that they were on board or that they were the victims. The court admitted as the reason for the explosion the explanation of the Japanese government that `the explosion was caused by the drifting mines scattered by the U.S.`

The Ukishimamaru was the commercial ship used for returning the Korean workers who had been drafted for the road constructions in Aomori. The Japanese government announced that 524 Koreans were killed in the explosion accident.

Shim Kyu-Sun ksshim@donga.com