1 of 3 surviving forced labor victims agrees to accept Seoul's compensation scheme

SEOUL, May 25 (Yonhap) -- One of three surviving victims of Japan's wartime forced labor has agreed to accept the government's third-party reimbursement plan warranting compensation through a fund created by a Seoul-based foundation, according to a public foundation Thursday.

According to the Foundation for Victims of Forced Mobilization by Imperial Japan, the victim, whose identity remained withheld, submitted paperwork to receive compensation on Wednesday. The foundation held a board meeting earlier in the day and decided to deliver the compensation.

The victim is one of three surviving plaintiffs who won legal battles against Japanese companies, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. and Nippon Steel Corp., at South Korea's Supreme Court in 2018.

South Korea announced in March a plan to resolve the issue of compensating a total of 15 plaintiffs who won their cases at the top court through the foundation.

Of the total 15 plaintiffs, only three remain alive, with 12 others represented by their surviving family members.

Following Seoul's announcement in March, victims and supporting civic groups had largely rejected the compensation plan, demanding Japan's apology and direct involvement by the accused companies in the compensation process.

Since the announcement, however, 10 of the plaintiffs so far have agreed to accept the government's scheme.

odissy@yna.co.kr
(END)