In a legal first, the Supreme Court on Tuesday declared South Korean survivors of the 1945 U.S atomic bombing of Hiroshima as fully eligible for government-sponsored medical subsidies — a landmark victory for hibakusha living overseas as they seek to secure recognition of their rights.
The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry responded by saying it will "take the ruling seriously" and pledged to conduct a swift policy overhaul to subsidize medical bills for an estimated 4,000 overseas hibakusha worldwide in accordance with existing law.
The top court upheld a decision last year by the Osaka High Court, which ruled that Osaka Prefecture acted illegally in 2011 when it refused to reimburse the Korean-based survivors for their medical expenses.
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