INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightEPAImage caption
Kim Sung-joo (C) was among the victims and relatives celebrating the victory in Seoul
South Korea's top court has ordered a Japanese firm to compensate Koreans it used as forced labour in World War Two
The court's ruling upholds two separate damages suits against the firm.About 150,000 Koreans were conscripted to work in factories and
mines in Japan in the war, and issues from the era continue to sour diplomatic relations.The latest move follows a landmark case in October
that found in favour of Koreans seeking compensation from Japan's Nippon Steel and Sumitomo Metal Corp for wartime forced
labour.Mitsubishi Heavy said the court's ruling was "deeply regrettable", and that it would take appropriate measures, Reuters
reported.'Regrettable and unacceptable'Japan argues that all financial or other reparation issues related to their 1910 to 1945 rule of
Korea should be regarded as settled by a treaty signed between South Korea and Japan in 1965.Image copyrightGetty ImagesBut the court ruled
that the treaty "does not cover the right of the victims of forced labour to compensation for crimes against humanity committed by a
Japanese company in direct connection with the Japanese government's illegal colonial rule and war of aggression against the Korean
peninsula".Japan's Foreign Minister Taro Kono said the ruling was "very regrettable and unacceptable".He said it was in violation of
international law and warned that Japan would consider options including an international law suit unless Seoul took appropriate action to
What will Mitsubishi payThe plaintiffs had sued Mitsubishi in Japan, but in 2008 Japan's top court found in favour of the firm
had been forced to work without pay at a Mitsubishi aircraft plant in Nagoya in 1944.The second case initially involved six victims, but
Mitsubishi must now pay 80m won to the living victims and the same to be divided among the families of the deceased
