Seoul: A South Korean court ruled Friday that North Korea must compensate a North Korean defector who claims she was tortured while detained in the North.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the Seoul Central District Court made the ruling in a lawsuit filed by Choi Min-kyung, head of the North Korea Imprisonment Victims' Family Association, against the Pyongyang regime in July last year. Choi sought 50 million won (US$36,300) in compensation for her suffering.

Choi claimed that she defected from North Korea in 1997 but was forcibly repatriated in 2008 while staying in China. She reported that during approximately five months in detention facilities in the North, she suffered human rights violations, including sexual abuse, physical violence, and inhumane treatment.

Choi highlighted that litigation against North Korea is possible in South Korean courts, citing the South Korean Constitution's definition of the entire Korean Peninsula as its territory and its recognition of people in the North as South Korean citizens.

The court hearings proceeded without any party representing the defendants. Despite winning the case, however, it may be difficult for the plaintiff to actually receive the compensation, as in previous civil lawsuits filed against North Korea.