South Korean opposition political parties have opposed the government's plan to compensate victims of forced labor during Japanese colonial rule through a local state foundation.
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South Korea to Compensate Japan's Wartime Forced Labor Victims
The solution proposed by the South Korean government is a surrender to Japan, said Lee Jae-myung, head of the main opposition liberal Democratic Party.
According to the official, the compensation plan for the victims of Japan's wartime forced labor is the greatest victory for Japan and the worst humiliation and shame for South Korea.
On Monday, the South Korean government announced a plan to compensate those who were forced by Imperial Japan to perform unpaid forced labor during World War II.
It consists of a foundation, which will be funded by voluntary donations from the South Korean private sector, rather than direct payment from the Japanese companies responsible.
On Tuesday, an association of 611 civic groups raised its voice against the proposed solution, claiming that it constitutes a violation of the fundamental order of the country's Constitution, which stipulates that colonial rule was illegal.
In this regard, the association called on Japan to apologize and abide by the South Korean Supreme Court's ruling on reparations to victims of forced labor by Japanese companies.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Nippon Steel were ordered in 2018 to pay compensation to victims of forced labor during Japan's colonial rule over Korea between 1910 and 1945.