Over 60 years ago, Eiko Kawasaki and thousands of ethnic Koreans were lured from Japan to North Korea with promises of a socialist paradise. Instead, they faced harsh conditions and loss of basic human rights. This week, a Tokyo court ruled that North Korea must pay at least 20 million yen to four settlers, including Kawasaki, who escaped and sued. Between 1959 and 1984, over 90,000 ethnic Koreans were recruited under this scheme. Kawasaki, now 83, said she was “overwhelmed with emotion” but doubts they will receive the money. The court symbolically summoned North Korean leader Kim Jong-un but cannot enforce the ruling. Lawyer Kenji Fukuda said seizing North Korean assets in Japan might be the only way to get compensation. The plaintiffs began their legal battle in 2018. The regime had promised free education, healthcare, jobs, and housing, which never materialized. Many workers were forced into mines and factories during Japan’s colonial rule over Korea from 1910 to 1945. Kawasaki was taken to North Korea in 1960. She defected to Japan in 2003 but lost contact with most of her family after the 2020 Covid-19 border closure. Human Rights Watch praised the ruling as a major step to hold North Korea accountable for crimes. The Japanese government and Red Cross had backed the original program but were not part of this lawsuit.