South Korea court orders first compensation for Vietnam war victim

FILE PHOTO: Shells of U.S. bombs used during Vietnam War are displayed at a bombs and landmines exhibition in Quang Tri province, Vietnam March 4, 2020. Picture taken March 4, 2020. REUTERS/Kham

A South Korean court ordered the government on Tuesday to compensate a Vietnamese victim of atrocities during the Vietnam War in the 1970s, when about 300,000 South Korean troops fought alongside U.S. forces.

The ruling marked the first legal acknowledgement of South Korea's liability for atrocities during the war and could potentially pave the way for other victims to seek compensation.