Japan company to pay 4 Koreans for forced labour

In a potentially far-reaching decision, South Korea's Supreme Court has ruled that a Japanese steelmaker should compensate four South Koreans for forced labour during Japan's colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula before the end of World War II.

The long-awaited ruling, delivered after more than five years of deliberation at Seoul's top court, could have larger implications for similar lawsuits that are pending in South Korea and will likely trigger a diplomatic row between the Asian US allies.

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono said that the ruling "clearly violated" a 1965 treaty between Seoul and Tokyo accompanied by Japanese payments to restore diplomatic ties. He threatened "resolute" counter-measures from Tokyo, which could potentially take the case to the International Court of Justice.

"We strongly urge South Korea to correct the illegal status under the international law and take appropriate measures," Kono said.

South Korea's Foreign Ministry spokesman Noh Kyu-duk said Tokyo and Seoul "should gather wisdom" to prevent the ruling from negatively affecting their relations.

The court said Japan's Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation should compensate 100 million won (USD 87,680) each to four plaintiffs, who were forced to work at Japanese steel mills from 1941 to 1943. Among them, only 94-year-old Lee Chun-sik has survived the legal battle that extended for nearly 14 years.

"I won the case but I am here alone, so I am sad, a lot of tears are coming out," an emotional Lee told reporters after the ruling. "It would have been good if we were still here altogether."