Was it related to the resolution of the former forced labor lawsuit issue? The National Order of Merit was given to the plaintiff, Mr. Yang Geum-deok.

According to South Korean public broadcaster KBS and other sources, Yang Geum-deok, the plaintiff in the FORMER forced labor lawsuit, was not awarded the Human Rights Award (People's Medal) last year in conjunction with World Human Rights Day on December 10th.
On the 10th of this month, South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin expressed his opinion regarding Mr. Foreign Minister Park said that regarding the award to Mr.
It was recognized that it is necessary to consider the status of implementation of solutions to litigation issues. Regarding the former forced labor lawsuit, South Korea's Supreme Court (Supreme Court) ruled in 2018 that the employer Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Nippon Steel (formerly
Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal) was ordered to pay compensation. However, Japan's position was that the issue of wartime compensation had already been resolved in the 1965 Japan-Korea Claims Agreement, and the two defendant companies refused to comply with the claim on this basis. For this reason
, the plaintiffs proceeded with the procedure of ``cashing out'' the Japanese company's assets in South Korea to be used as compensation. The former forced labor lawsuit issue has been the biggest issue of concern between Japan and South Korea, and for many years there has been no solution in sight.
However, with the inauguration of the Yun Seo-gyul administration in South Korea in May last year, the trend changed. President Yoon has expressed his desire to improve Japan-Korea relations since he was a presidential candidate.
Shortly after taking office, the government made active efforts to resolve the issue, including establishing a joint public-private council to find solutions.
In March of this year, the South Korean government announced a "solution" to this problem. The contents are former conscripted workers
The Foundation for Victims of Forced Mobilization under the Japanese Empire, which is affiliated with the South Korean government and provides support for former forced laborers, has filed a claim with the plaintiffs on behalf of the defendants Nippon Steel and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which were ordered to pay compensation to former forced laborers. More support
It means providing. When the South Korean government announced a solution, President Yun said, ``Up until now, the government has been trying to find a solution that is consistent with the common interests and future development of both Korea and Japan, while respecting the position of the victims.''
"This is the result of a lot of research," he said. Relations between Japan and South Korea had been cold for many years, but after the South Korean government presented a solution to the problem, relations began to improve dramatically. Currently only in politics
In addition, exchanges between the business community and the private sector are becoming more active. The foundation has so far completed payments to one surviving plaintiff and the families of 10 of the 15 successful cases, but Yang
A total of four people including him, the remaining plaintiffs, and his family refused to receive the package. Regarding these four people, the Foundation is implementing a "deposit" procedure in which if the amount equivalent to the compensation is deposited with the court, it will have the same effect as if the plaintiff had received it.
started. However, each court that received the application for the deposit rejected the deposition procedure, stating that ``the parties clearly have an intention to oppose receiving the amount equivalent to the compensation.'' Regarding the deposition regarding Mr. Yang,
In July 2017, the Gwangju District Court in the southwestern region rejected the application. Regarding the solution proposed by the South Korean government, Mr. Yang said, ``We will never accept the government's dirty money.It has to be compensation paid by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.''
So far, he has consistently expressed his intention to refuse to accept the offer, saying, "I will never accept it." In 2018, the Supreme Court issued a judgment ordering Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to compensate Mr. Yang.
One of the plaintiffs in the forced labor lawsuit. In 1944, during the Japanese colonial period, Mr. Yang, then a teenager, was invited to come to Japan with the idea that he could go to school while working. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Nagoya Airways as Korean Women's Labor Volunteer Corps
Although he worked at a machine factory, he was unable to attend school and was forced to work without pay. In December last year, South Korea's National Human Rights Commission accused Yang of having contributed to the movement to restore the rights of former forced laborers.
The idea of awarding him a medal was considered, but it caused a stir when it was reported that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was waiting on this idea. At the time, a department official said, ``We have submitted the opinion that a consultation process based on the Decorations of Decorations Act is necessary.''
"It's just too much," he said, explaining that he was not opposed to awarding the medal, but the Korean newspaper Hankyoreh reported that the ministry had expressed opinions such as "let's do it next year." Support groups for former conscripted laborers, etc.
He criticized the Ministry of Communications for suspending the awarding of medals out of concern about the impact on Japan-Korea negotiations over the issue of forced labor. In the end, the award was not given to Mr. Yang last year.
With all eyes on what will happen this year as the situation has changed significantly since then, according to Yonhap News, Foreign Minister Park announced that
On the 0th, regarding the award to Mr. Yang, he said, ``I am well aware of Mr. Yang's efforts to raise awareness of the forced labor issue for about 30 years,'' and added, ``I hope that there is a solution (to the former forced labor issue).'' is being implemented
It is important to consider the situation comprehensively." Last year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied any connection between the awarding of the medal to Yang and the Japan-Korea talks over the former labor recruitment issue, and Foreign Minister Park on the 10th
Regarding his remarks, public broadcaster KBS said, ``It is being interpreted as an acknowledgment of the connection between the awarding of the National Order of Merit and the resolution of the recruitment lawsuit issue.''