at 18:30 (JST), November 24

Asian View
"Asian View" is a five-minute news segment broadcast by NHK WORLD-JAPAN. It features the latest news and deep analysis from Japan and the rest of Asia. Listen to "Asian View" and get the latest information from a region that's playing an increasingly important role in the world.





https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20231124183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : seoul high court dismissed
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20231123_14/

A high court in South Korea has ordered the Japanese government to pay damages after overturning a lower court's dismissal of a lawsuit filed by a group of people referred to as wartime comfort women and their relatives.

The Seoul High Court handed down the decision on Thursday after reviewing an earlier judgement dismissing the claims of 16 plaintiffs. Those taking part in the suit each sought 200 million won, or about 150,000 dollars, in compensation for mental and physical pain.

In 2021, a lower court dismissed the case based on sovereign immunity and past top-court rulings. Sovereign immunity is a legal concept that holds that states are immune from civil rulings from foreign courts of law.

The court in Seoul determined that the concept does not apply in this case, ruling that the Japanese government is liable for damages as claimed by the plaintiffs.

In the ruling, the court claimed that "Under customary international law, it is reasonable to recognize the jurisdiction of South Korean courts."

It also said illegal acts carried out in the course of mobilizing so-called comfort women on the Korean Peninsula are apparent, and compensation should be paid.

No Japanese government official attended the proceedings. Tokyo takes the position that the lawsuit should have been dismissed on the basis of sovereign immunity.

The ruling will be finalized if the Japanese government does not appeal to South Korea's Supreme Court.
Japan's Vice Foreign Minister Okano Masataka lodged a protest with South Korean Ambassador to Japan Yun Duk-min, saying that the ruling was extremely regrettable.

Okano said that the Japanese government could never accept the ruling, which denied the sovereign immunity stipulated under international law and acknowledged the plaintiffs' claim.

He also said Tokyo maintains that the issue concerning property and claims between Japan and South Korea was settled completely and finally in 1965 when the two countries normalized bilateral ties.

He urged the South Korean government to take proper measures to correct what he referred to as a violation of international law.

Key words : security specialist
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20231124_09/

An expert urged greater unity in the global effort to combat cyberattacks by North Korea amid rising concern that IT workers around the world are helping the regime steal cryptocurrency.

Security specialist Takeuchi Maiko says it's important for countries hit by online assaults to stand together to strengthen sanctions on North Korea. The former member of a UN panel on sanctions against Pyongyang says online crimes have been successful for the country and helped it fund nuclear and missile development programs.

A United Nations panel report examining sanctions against North Korea from January through July shows its thefts of cryptocurrency rose to a record last year.

The report says North Korea stole an estimated 1.7 billion dollars' worth of cryptocurrency from companies across the world in 2022.

The report says IT workers such as system developers in various countries may be involved in North Korean cyberattacks. It says there is a company in Laos working to coordinate such technicians.

A network supporting North Korean cyberattacks is reportedly spreading mainly in Asia. Takeuchi said Japan should urge other countries to work together to prevent such hacking and other malicious cyber activity.

Key words : discovered cosmic ray
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20231124_06/

An international team of scientists says it has discovered the second most powerful cosmic ray ever recorded. Cosmic rays are high-energy subatomic particles that rain down on Earth from outer space. A calculation indicates that only 1 gram of the particle contains enough energy to destroy Earth.

The group of researchers from Japan, the United States and six other countries made the announcement this week. The group has regularly analyzed data from 507 cosmic ray detectors that started operating in the desert in the US state of Utah in 2008.

The group said it detected a cosmic ray with an estimated energy of 244 exa-electron volts in May 2021.

The team named the particle "Amaterasu" after the sun goddess in Japanese mythology. Its energy intensity is second only to that of the "Oh-My-God" particle, which was measured at about 320 exa-electron volts in 1991.

The team has sought to trace back the trajectory of the Amaterasu particle, but has so far failed to pinpoint its source. It said the particle could have been generated by the explosion of a massive star.

One of the team members, Osaka Metropolitan University Associate Professor Fujii Toshihiro, said the group finally detected the particle after arduous observations. He added that the group will continue its observations to determine the particle's source.

Key words : maui wildfire
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/videos/20231101102645773/

Okinawans rally around Lahaina

An Okinawan librarian, who also studies Okinawan emigration to Hawaii, reaches out to fellow Okinawans to support Lahaina fire victims. It is a way to repay a kindness Lahaina residents showed their island in the aftermath of WWII.