More than 200-thousand people signed an online petition filed with the presidential office, calling for the impeachment of a judge who dismissed a compensation suit filed by victims of Japan's wartime forced labor. 

The petition filed on Tuesday, demanding the impeachment of judge Kim Yang-ho, surpassed the 200-thousand-mark as of 11:00 a.m. Wednesday. An excess off 200-thousand signatures requires the government to respond. 

The petitioner accused the judge of holding anti-state and anti-historical views based on the reasons behind the dismissal.

On Monday, the Seoul Central District Court dismissed the suit launched by 85 South Korean victims and their families against 16 Japanese companies, saying the plaintiffs didn’t have litigation rights, citing a 1965 bilateral treaty.

The ruling was highly criticized for citing political and diplomatic reasons, saying an international legal dispute over the compensation may hurt bilateral relations, as well as Seoul's ties with Washington.

The plaintiffs plan to appeal, arguing that the dismissal is in stark contrast to the Supreme Court's ruling in 2018 that upheld an appeals court ruling ordering Nippon Steel to pay four Korean plaintiffs 100 million won each in compensation.