The four plaintiffs, including ethnic Koreans and Japanese, moved to North Korea with thousands of others under a 1959-1984 program in which the North promised free health care, education, jobs and other benefits. North Korea, however, has never responded to the lawsuit and likely will not pay damages. In 1959, North Korea began a resettlement program to bring overseas Koreans to the North to make up for workers killed during the Korean War. The Japanese government, viewing ethnic Koreans as outsiders, welcomed the program and helped arrange for people to travel to North Korea. About 150 have made it back to Japan, according to a group supporting defectors from North Korea.

Source: New York Times October 31, 2023 06:23 UTC