Japan's Court Hands Down Historic Verdict Against North Korea's 'Paradise on Earth' Scheme
For decades, a group of Korean descent individuals were lured by the promise of a "paradise on earth" in North Korea. Instead, they found themselves subjected to extreme hardship and denied basic human rights. The victims of this scheme claim they were deceived and coerced into leaving their homes in Japan for better lives under communist rule.
The court's verdict is a historic moment that marks the first time a Japanese court has exercised its sovereignty against North Korea. Atsushi Shiraki, one of the lawyers representing the plaintiffs, hailed the ruling as "one very important, successful example of attempts to hold North Korea accountable" for its international crimes.
The 'Paradise on Earth' scheme was implemented between 1959 and 1984, when over 90,000 people with Korean heritage were recruited by North Korea under a program backed by the Japanese government at the time. This movement aimed to attract skilled workers, including women who had married Korean men during Japan's colonial rule of the Korean peninsula.
Among those affected was Eiko Kawasaki, an 83-year-old woman from Kyoto who left her life in Japan for a better future in North Korea but ended up being subjected to severe hardship and human rights violations. Her experience highlights how vulnerable individuals can be exploited by state-sanctioned propaganda and forced migration.
The Tokyo high court's ruling ordered the North Korean government to pay each of the four plaintiffs at least 20 million yen (£94,000) in compensation, but this payment might not be forthcoming as it relies on confiscating North Korean assets within Japan. Despite the limited scope of this judgment, it marks a significant step towards holding North Korea accountable for its human rights abuses.
North Korea has long been secretive about the fate of those who migrated under the "Paradise on Earth" scheme, and their children often remain trapped in the country due to strict border controls enforced since the COVID-19 pandemic. Eiko Kawasaki expressed her worry that she may never see her other children again.
For decades, a group of Korean descent individuals were lured by the promise of a "paradise on earth" in North Korea. Instead, they found themselves subjected to extreme hardship and denied basic human rights. The victims of this scheme claim they were deceived and coerced into leaving their homes in Japan for better lives under communist rule.
The court's verdict is a historic moment that marks the first time a Japanese court has exercised its sovereignty against North Korea. Atsushi Shiraki, one of the lawyers representing the plaintiffs, hailed the ruling as "one very important, successful example of attempts to hold North Korea accountable" for its international crimes.
The 'Paradise on Earth' scheme was implemented between 1959 and 1984, when over 90,000 people with Korean heritage were recruited by North Korea under a program backed by the Japanese government at the time. This movement aimed to attract skilled workers, including women who had married Korean men during Japan's colonial rule of the Korean peninsula.
Among those affected was Eiko Kawasaki, an 83-year-old woman from Kyoto who left her life in Japan for a better future in North Korea but ended up being subjected to severe hardship and human rights violations. Her experience highlights how vulnerable individuals can be exploited by state-sanctioned propaganda and forced migration.
The Tokyo high court's ruling ordered the North Korean government to pay each of the four plaintiffs at least 20 million yen (£94,000) in compensation, but this payment might not be forthcoming as it relies on confiscating North Korean assets within Japan. Despite the limited scope of this judgment, it marks a significant step towards holding North Korea accountable for its human rights abuses.
North Korea has long been secretive about the fate of those who migrated under the "Paradise on Earth" scheme, and their children often remain trapped in the country due to strict border controls enforced since the COVID-19 pandemic. Eiko Kawasaki expressed her worry that she may never see her other children again.
japan's court just delivered a major blow to north korea's human rights record! i'm so proud of the plaintiffs who finally got justice after decades of being exploited by north korea's propaganda 
the fact that the court exercised its sovereignty against north korea is a huge deal, it shows that no country is above the law 
and let's be real, 20 million yen in compensation isn't too shabby either 
i can only imagine how scary it must have been for eiko kawasaki to leave her life behind thinking she was getting a better future but ended up being subjected to severe hardship 
anyway, this verdict is a step towards holding north korea accountable and that's something we should all be cheering about 
️ This is a huge win for human rights advocates worldwide! The fact that Japan's court has finally held North Korea accountable for its actions is a significant step towards justice for those who were exploited and subjected to extreme hardship. It's heartbreaking to think about people like Eiko Kawasaki, who risked everything for a better life only to find themselves trapped in a country with severe human rights abuses 
.
.
. It shows that the rule of law can apply to even the most powerful nations, and that those responsible for human rights abuses can be held accountable 
. Now let's hope that North Korea starts to come clean about what happened to these individuals and their families 
.
this is kinda crazy... a whole 'paradise on earth' thing just turned into this huge court case 
i mean, who gets lured by a 'better life' in another country only to find out it's a nightmare? 
especially when you consider the Japanese government was all about backing this program in the first place 
what kinda message does that send? 
. And it's not just them, their children are still stuck in North Korea due to strict border controls... it's like, what even is the point of a "paradise on earth" if you can't even leave safely? 
. I mean, can you even imagine being lured by the promise of a better life and then finding yourself in way worse situations? 
.
. I mean, what if the payment doesn't get paid out? Or what if it sets a precedent for Japan to take on more cases against North Korea? I don't know, maybe I'm just overthinking it 
It's just another example of how some governments can manipulate and control people like puppets. And the fact that these ppl were even deceived into leaving their homes for a better life is just disgusting. The compensation might not even be enough for all the emotional trauma they went thru 
And what about Eiko Kawasaki and her kids? I hope she gets some kind of closure, but it's so sad that they might never see each other again 
, I cant even imagine if ur family members r still trapped in NK. And can u believe they got away w/ it for so long? It's like they thought they could get away w/ murder lol 
but the law caught up w/ them & now they gotta pay. Still, its a good step towards holding NK accountable, fingers crossed they actually pay up this time 
Its like, North Korea knew exactly what it was doing, using all those propaganda posters & manipulation tactics to get ppl 2 leave Japan 
Eiko Kawasaki's story is especially heartbreaking, thinking about her not seein her other kids again 
Anyways, its a good step that the Tokyo high court held North Korea accountable for their human rights abuses 
The fact that Eiko Kawasaki might never see her other kids again is just heartbreaking 
. We need more awareness about this stuff so it doesn't happen to others 
. It's crazy to think that over 90,000 people with Korean heritage were lured by the promise of better lives in North Korea only to face severe hardship and human rights violations 
.
.
, finally a court has spoken out against this crazy "Paradise on Earth" scheme