Hiroshima to provide health care allowances for six A-bomb survivors in South Korea
Nov. 9, 2009
by Uzaemonnaotsuka Tokai, Staff Writer
On November 6, it was learned that the City of Hiroshima has decided on a policy involving unpaid health care allowances to atomic bomb survivors (hibakusha) in South Korea. The city, based on unofficial documents, will provide health care allowances for six hibakusha (two of them have already passed away), or roughly 6.6 million yen, to the hibakusha themselves or their bereaved families at the end of November. The city will invite Kim Yong Gil, president of the South Korean Atomic Bomb Sufferers Association, to Hiroshima City Hall on November 9 to explain the policy.
In July 2008, the South Korean Atomic Bomb Sufferers Association and the Hiroshima Committee to Invite Korean A-bomb Survivors to Japan for Medical Treatment submitted to the City of Hiroshima their documents on about 300 hibakusha who came to Japan for medical treatment under projects sponsored by the committee and requested that their health care allowances be provided. The city has responded with a positive stance toward the first payment of health care allowances on the basis of these unofficial documents.
According to the Atomic Bomb Survivors Relief Department of Hiroshima City Office, the city's thorough examination of the documents has revealed that the actual number of Korean hibakusha who came to Japan for medical treatment is 256, with the exclusion of overlapping data in the documents. Among the 256 survivors, 223 came to Japan for medical treatment under the auspices of the Japanese and Korean governments as well and have already been provided health care allowances by the city, based on records at the time. The city concluded that it may not have provided health care allowances for 33 hibakusha.
The City of Hiroshima decided to first provide the health care allowances of 6.6 million yen in total for the six hibakusha who have been confirmed not to have received the payment through other local governments. On November 25, the health care allowances will be transferred to the bank accounts of the hibakusha or their bereaved families through the Korean Red Cross Center. The city plans to provide health care allowances for the other potential recipients as soon as it can confirm that its provision will not constitute double payments.
Health care allowances unpaid to A-bomb survivors in South Korea
The Japanese government, in line with the 1974 directive issued by the former Ministry of Welfare, cut off health care allowances for hibakusha when they left Japan. However, following the government's defeat in a lawsuit filed by survivors overseas seeking health care allowances, the government scrapped the directive in 2003. The government's claim of a five-year time limit was dismissed at the Supreme Court in February 2007, leading to the decision that the government would retrospectively provide the plaintiffs with health care allowances for the entire period. But hibakusha who came to Japan for medical treatment through invitations from private organizations have found it difficult to officially prove that they received treatment in Japan, and a portion of health care allowances remains unpaid.
(Originally published on November 7, 2009)
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Hiroshima officially bases health care allowances for A-bomb survivors in South Korea on nongovernmental records (July 24, 2009)
Hiroshima to provide health care allowances to A-bomb survivors in South Korea (July 22, 2009)
On November 6, it was learned that the City of Hiroshima has decided on a policy involving unpaid health care allowances to atomic bomb survivors (hibakusha) in South Korea. The city, based on unofficial documents, will provide health care allowances for six hibakusha (two of them have already passed away), or roughly 6.6 million yen, to the hibakusha themselves or their bereaved families at the end of November. The city will invite Kim Yong Gil, president of the South Korean Atomic Bomb Sufferers Association, to Hiroshima City Hall on November 9 to explain the policy.
In July 2008, the South Korean Atomic Bomb Sufferers Association and the Hiroshima Committee to Invite Korean A-bomb Survivors to Japan for Medical Treatment submitted to the City of Hiroshima their documents on about 300 hibakusha who came to Japan for medical treatment under projects sponsored by the committee and requested that their health care allowances be provided. The city has responded with a positive stance toward the first payment of health care allowances on the basis of these unofficial documents.
According to the Atomic Bomb Survivors Relief Department of Hiroshima City Office, the city's thorough examination of the documents has revealed that the actual number of Korean hibakusha who came to Japan for medical treatment is 256, with the exclusion of overlapping data in the documents. Among the 256 survivors, 223 came to Japan for medical treatment under the auspices of the Japanese and Korean governments as well and have already been provided health care allowances by the city, based on records at the time. The city concluded that it may not have provided health care allowances for 33 hibakusha.
The City of Hiroshima decided to first provide the health care allowances of 6.6 million yen in total for the six hibakusha who have been confirmed not to have received the payment through other local governments. On November 25, the health care allowances will be transferred to the bank accounts of the hibakusha or their bereaved families through the Korean Red Cross Center. The city plans to provide health care allowances for the other potential recipients as soon as it can confirm that its provision will not constitute double payments.
Health care allowances unpaid to A-bomb survivors in South Korea
The Japanese government, in line with the 1974 directive issued by the former Ministry of Welfare, cut off health care allowances for hibakusha when they left Japan. However, following the government's defeat in a lawsuit filed by survivors overseas seeking health care allowances, the government scrapped the directive in 2003. The government's claim of a five-year time limit was dismissed at the Supreme Court in February 2007, leading to the decision that the government would retrospectively provide the plaintiffs with health care allowances for the entire period. But hibakusha who came to Japan for medical treatment through invitations from private organizations have found it difficult to officially prove that they received treatment in Japan, and a portion of health care allowances remains unpaid.
(Originally published on November 7, 2009)
Related articles
Hiroshima officially bases health care allowances for A-bomb survivors in South Korea on nongovernmental records (July 24, 2009)
Hiroshima to provide health care allowances to A-bomb survivors in South Korea (July 22, 2009)
