Initially, a 2021 verdict denied the women compensation, invoking Tokyo's "sovereign immunity," but the latest decision, as per court documents, asserts that such immunity doesn't apply to illegal acts.

Each of the 16 plaintiffs has been awarded approximately $154,000.

The court recognized that these victims were taken by force or deceit into sexual slavery, resulting in lasting harm and disrupted post-war lives.

Lee Young-soo, aged 95, was one of the plaintiffs expressing gratitude upon hearing the verdict.

Historical consensus estimates that around 200,000 women, mainly Korean and also from other parts of Asia, were coerced into serving as comfort women for Japanese troops during WWII.

The dispute over accountability for these actions has strained relations between South Korea and Japan, who ruled over Korea from 1910 to 1945.

This ruling coincides with efforts by South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol to heal past grievances and strengthen ties with Japan amid threats from North Korea.

The Japanese government, however, denies direct liability, claiming that civilians recruited the victims and that the military-run brothels were private businesses.