Seoul: The Supreme Court has confirmed the cancellation of a 2021 district court ruling that dismissed a collective damages suit filed by South Korean victims of wartime forced labor in Japan against Japanese companies, judicial officials reported.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the case originated in June 2021 when the Seoul Central District Court rejected the damages suit brought by 85 forced labor victims and their families against 16 Japanese companies, including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The court ruled that the plaintiffs lacked litigation rights. This lawsuit was initially filed in 2015.

The 2021 ruling sparked controversy as it stood in stark contrast to an October 2018 Supreme Court decision, which supported a 2013 appeals court ruling that ordered Nippon Steel to compensate four Korean plaintiffs 100 million won (approximately US$66,400) each for wartime forced labor and unpaid work.

Some victims contested the 2021 decision, prompting the Seoul High Court to overturn it in February 2024, referencing the Supreme Court's 2018 ruling. The case was then returned to the district court for retrial.

Despite Mitsubishi and another Japanese company, Hokkaido Colliery and Steamship, appealing the Seoul High Court's decision, the Supreme Court sided with the appellate court on February 12, as stated by judicial officials. As a result, the case is set to be retried at the Seoul Central District Court.