The Japanese government lodged a protest after Korea's Supreme Court on the 11th ruled in favor of victims in a damages lawsuit seeking to hold Japan accountable for forced mobilization during its colonial rule. The Japanese government was said to have conveyed to the Korean government its position that the matter should be resolved through a third-party repayment method.
Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a press release stating that "Masaki Kanai, director-general for Asian and Oceanian Affairs, conveyed views to Kim Jang-hyeon, minister for political affairs at the Korean Embassy in Japan, based on Japan's consistent position to date."
That day, the Supreme Court's First Division (presiding Justice Ma Yong-ju) ruled partially in favor of the plaintiffs in a damages suit filed by four children of forced-labor victim Jeong Hyeong-pal against Nippon Steel (formerly Shin-Nippon Steel), ordering, "The defendant shall pay the plaintiffs a total of 100 million won."
Previously, the Japanese government maintained that compensation for victims of forced mobilization during the colonial era was an issue already resolved under the 1965 Korea-Japan Claims Agreement and said it could not accept additional claims.
However, it supported the third-party repayment plan rolled out under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration in 2023. Under the plan, the Foundation for Korean Victims of Forced Mobilization by Imperial Japan (FOMO), an affiliate of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, would use funds raised through voluntary private contributions to pay compensation and accrued interest to victims who won final judgments in their lawsuits, in place of the Japanese corporations.
Regarding this, Kim Jang-hyeon, the minister for political affairs, said, "Japan's Foreign Ministry contacted us and conveyed the same message as before."