March 29, 2024
News

Seoul court orders North Korea to pay former ROK prisoners for forced labor

Three South Koreans taken captive during Korean War awarded $38K each, now seek payout from inter-Korean fund

A Seoul court has ordered North Korea to compensate three South Koreans taken prisoner during the Korean War for their forced labor while in captivity, the nongovernmental organization (NGO) representing the plaintiffs announced on Monday. 

The Seoul Central District Court ruled that the North Korean state must pay 50 million won ($37,900) each to Kim Seong-tae, Yoo Young-bok and the bereaved family of Lee Kyu-il, according to the NGO Mulmangcho. The former prisoners of war all escaped from the North in the early 2000s after being captured by the DPRK during the Korean War. 

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