South Korean victims of wartime sexual enslavement won their first legal victory Friday against the Japanese government in a landmark ruling. The Seoul Central District Court ordered Tokyo to make financial reparations of 100 million won (US$91,300) each to 12 "comfort women" who were dragged away from their homes and forced to work in front-line military brothels for Japanese soldiers during World War II.

"Evidence, relevant materials and testimonies show that the victims suffered from extreme, unimaginable mental and physical pain due to the illegal acts by the accused. But no compensation has been made for their suffering" the court said in a verdict.

In the country's first ruling of its kind, the court rejected Japan's claim that the case should be dropped based on sovereign immunity, a legal doctrine that allows a state to be immune from a civil suit in foreign courts. It sided with the victims that the rule should not apply to "systematic crimes against humanity" and war crimes.

Following the court ruling, Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Takeo Akiba summoned Nam Gwan-pyo, South Korea's top envoy in Tokyo, to lodge a protest over the court decision. He told the ambassador that the court decision is "utterly unacceptable" and expressed regret that the Seoul court denied the concept of sovereign immunity, according to Kyodo News. Read more via Korea Times