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| Yang Geum-deok, 94, left, and Kim Sung-joo, 93, surviving victims of Japan's forced labor during World War II, attend a press conference denouncing the government's proposal to settle the compensation issue, at the National Assembly, Tuesday. Yonhap |
By Lee Hyo-jin
Surviving victims of wartime forced labor by Japanese firms strongly condemned on Tuesday the Korean government's proposal to settle the compensation issue without the direct involvement of the Japanese companies.
Yang Geum-deok, 94, one of the victims, said she will not accept the money if it is not coming directly from the responsible firm, even if she "starves to death."
On the previous day, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed a plan to compensate the victims through a public foundation that will be funded primarily by Korean companies that benefited from reparations Japan provided under a 1965 treaty, instead of the responsible Japanese firms.
The arrangement, which aims to resolve a years-long diplomatic tussle between Seoul and Tokyo, immediately drew criticisms from victims and liberal lawmakers for completely ignoring the victims' calls for a fresh apology and direct payment from Japan.
"I will not accept the money even if I starve to death," Yang said during a press conference held at the National Assembly, denouncing the absence of the Japanese firms in the proposed compensation process.
She also called on President Yoon Suk Yeol to step down, saying that his administration's arrangement with Japan is unacceptable.
The 94-year-old was forced to work at a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries factory in Nagoya in 1944. She returned home to Naju, South Jeolla Province, in August 1945 after Korea's liberation that year.
Kim Sung-joo, 93, another surviving victim, said, "It was Japan that took us (for forced labor), so who should we demand an apology from?"
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| Civic groups advocating for victims of forced labor hold a rally at the National Assembly, Tuesday, criticizing the government's proposal to settle the compensation issue without the direct involvement of the responsible Japanese firms. Yonhap |
Yang and Kim are among the 15 plaintiffs who won a lawsuit against Japanese firms in the South Korean Supreme Court. In 2018, the nation's top court ordered Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Nippon Steel to compensate the South Koreans who were coerced to work in their factories.
Among the plaintiffs, only three are still alive. The other is Lee Choon-shik, who was forced to work for Nippon Steel in 1943.
Civic groups and supporters of victims who joined the press conference said they will continue to fight, urging the government to nullify the "humiliating" settlement.
Despite the criticisms, however, the foreign ministry said Tuesday that it will continue to talk with victims and their families affected by the 2018 ruling and persuade them to consent to its proposed compensation plan.
In a Monday briefing, the ministry said it had discussed the settlement with 13 out of 15 victims or their families before finalizing the plan.
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