Ukishima Maru

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Ukishima Maru was a Japanese naval transport vessel. She was originally built as a passenger ship in March 1937. During World War II, she served as a naval vessel after getting heavy armament. The displacement was 4,731 tonnes.

1 The 'Ukishima Maru' incident
- 1.1 The Korean View
- 1.2 The Japanese Court Ruling
2 References

[edit] The 'Ukishima Maru' incident

On August 22, 1945, Ukishima Maru was carrying 4,000-5,000 Korean forced-labourers from a military facility in the Aomori prefecture, headed towards the Korean port of Busan. On the 24th, the ship had entered the port of Maizuru, where the ship exploded and sank, killing 524 Koreans and 25 Japanese on board.

[edit] The Korean View

Koreans, both the South and the North, view this incident as a deliberate act of war crime committed by the Japanese government of the time.

A North Korean movie, 'Sara-innun Ryonghongdul' (literally means “Living Souls,” and titled “Souls Protest” in English) was made in 2001, illustrating this view.

80 South Koreans, survivors and relatives of the victims of the incident, have filed a lawsuit against the Japanese government, seeking some 8 billion yen in compensation, an official apology and the remains of the victims that are kept in a shrine in Japan. On 2005, a South Korean man, claiming to be a survivor of the incident, told an internet-based news media (http://www.ohmynews.co.kr) that shortly before the explosion, most Japanese soldiers and officers left the vessel and also that the explosives were hidden inside the hull.

[edit] The Japanese Court Ruling

The Kyoto District Court has ordered, on August 27, 2001, the Japanese government to pay 45 million yen to 15 South Koreans, who are survivors and the relatives of the victims of the incident. The court ruled that the Japanese government had failed in its duty to transport passengers safely as a legal relation was established between the government and the passengers at that time.

The court rejected, however, claims of the plaintiffs demanding official apologies and return of the remains of the victims.

The court also rejected claims of 65 plaintiffs on the ground that their relationship with the victims could not be established.