Reiwa 5 (Wa) 919 Damages Claim Case

In April 2025, South Korean fisherman Park Jung-hwan filed a damages lawsuit (Reiwa 5 (Wa) No. 919) at the Tokyo District Court against Japan Coast Guard officer Satō Ichirō. The case arose from a collision in the East China Sea where a Japan Coast Guard patrol vessel struck Park's fishing boat during an enforcement operation, causing personal injury and property damage. Park claimed the officer acted negligently and unlawfully. The incident occurred near the disputed exclusive economic zone boundary, heightening bilateral sensitivities. The litigation drew significant attention as a test of how Japanese courts handle foreign plaintiffs suing state actors, implicating questions of jurisdiction, sovereign immunity, and international maritime law.

The Tokyo District Court dismissed the claim in late 2025, ruling that the Japan Coast Guard vessel acted lawfully within Japan's asserted EEZ jurisdiction and that the officer was entitled to immunity for official duties performed in a law enforcement capacity.

Whether the Japanese court had jurisdiction over an incident involving a Korean national in waters claimed by both countries; whether the coast guard officer's actions constituted negligence or were protected by sovereign immunity as a state act; and whether international law or Japanese domestic law governed the collision's legality.

The ruling triggered protests in South Korea and was condemned by Korean civic groups as a denial of justice. The case deepened mistrust between the two nations, temporarily stalled diplomatic negotiations on fisheries, and fueled anti-Japanese sentiment in South Korean media. In Japan, it was cited as a precedent reinforcing the state's legal shield in maritime enforcement.