The Seoul High Court has acquitted Sejong University honorary professor Park Yu-ha who was put on trial for allegedly defaming victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery with her book “Comfort Women of the Empire."

The high court issued the ruling on Friday, upholding the Supreme Court’s decision to reverse the high court’s ruling to fine Park ten million won, or slightly more than seven-thousand U.S. dollars, and have the appellate court review Park’s case again. 

In issuing the ruling, the high court supported the Supreme Court’s verdict made last October that it is reasonable to view the depictions of the wartime sex slaves in Park’s book as academic claims or opinions and that it is not appropriate to regard such depictions as indication of facts that defame the dignity of victims.  

Park was put on trial after her book, released in 2013, described wartime sex slaves as having comrade-like relationships with Japanese soldiers and that their sex services bore a meaning of patriotism. 

Shortly after the court verdict was out, Park noted that the ruling came nearly ten years after she was slapped with a complaint and some eight-and-a-half years after she was indicted.