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
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Limited has been ordered to pay up to 150m won ($133,000; £104,000) to 28 South Korean victims or their
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 address the issue
What will Mitsubishi payThe plaintiffs had sued Mitsubishi in Japan, but in 2008 Japan's top court found in favour of the firm
Thursday's ruling ordered the company to pay up to 150m won ($106,896; £83,305) each to four women, and one family member, who said they
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
