Corrigendum
Since this article was written, Korean leprosy survivors who endured forced vasectomies or abortions have filed additional lawsuits in Seoul and one in southwestern Jeolla province near Sorokdo. In April 2014, the Suncheon branch of the Gwangju District Court issued a landmark ruling in favor of 19 plaintiffs’ claims for compensation from the state. The court found that the state had acted illegally and violated leprosy survivors’ rights to reproduce and live with dignity. The plaintiffs' lawyers welcomed the ruling because it clearly stated the state's liability and accepted the plaintiffs’ interpretation of the statute of limitations. Several national newspapers covered the historic ruling and urged the state to forgo an appeal, as the Japanese government had in 2001. But the ROK government appealed the ruling in May 2014.
