Yasukuni Shrine: South Korean Families Sue Japan in Landmark Case Over WWII Conscripts

Families of South Koreans forcibly conscripted into the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II have filed a landmark lawsuit in a Seoul court, demanding the removal of their relatives' names from Tokyo's controversial Yasukuni Shrine. Announced on Tuesday, the suit is the first of its kind to be filed in a South Korean court and also seeks 880 million won (US$593,700) in damages from the Japanese government and the entity that manages the shrine.

A Fight for Dignity and Remembrance

The lawsuit was filed by ten bereaved family members at the Seoul Central District Court. The plaintiffs argue that the Japanese government violated the victims' rights first by forcibly conscripting them and then by enshrining them at Yasukuni without the families' consent. This action, they claim, infringes upon their personal dignity as well as their freedom of religion and conscience.

The enshrinement is not a mere religious rite for the bereaved families, but an act that subsumes the victims into a frame that glorifies Japan's war of aggression. Their status as 'war dead for the Emperor,' even though they were driven to their deaths, must be brought to an end so that the families can reclaim the right to remember their loved ones in the manner they choose.

— The plaintiffs' legal counsel

Yasukuni: A Symbol of Unresolved History

The Yasukuni Shrine in central Tokyo is a potent symbol of Japan's militarist past and remains a major point of contention in East Asia. Visits or offerings by Japanese leaders consistently draw sharp criticism from neighboring countries, particularly South Korea and China, which suffered under Japan's imperial expansion.

A New Legal Battleground

This case represents a significant shift in legal strategy for the families. According to civic groups, since the enshrinement of Koreans became public knowledge in the 1990s, two previous lawsuits seeking the cancellation of enshrinement were filed in Japanese courts. Both were ultimately dismissed, with the courts ruling that the statute of limitations had expired. Another suit involving six Korean family members was filed in Japan this past September and is still pending. By bringing the fight to a South Korean court, the plaintiffs are opening a new front in a decades-long struggle for historical justice.