▲ This March 6, 2023, file photo shows a civic group staging a rally to protest the government's plan to compensate Korean victims of Japan's wartime forced labor through a Seoul-backed public foundation, instead of direct payment from responsible Japanese firms. (Yonhap)

(LEAD) court-forced labor compensation

(LEAD) Court rejects gov't bid to deposit compensation for forced labor victim

(ATTN: ADDS donation campaign for victims in last 4 paras)

SEOUL, July 4 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean court has decided not to accept a government request to deposit compensation for a victim of Japan's wartime forced labor who rejected the government's third-party reimbursement plan that excludes Japanese firms.

The decision, made by a district court in the southwestern city of Gwangju, came after the government on Monday launched a process to deposit compensation for four victims of forced labor under Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.

The victims, who were among 15 plaintiffs who won against Japanese companies in a 2018 Supreme Court ruling, had strongly protested the government plan to compensate them on its own through a government-affiliated foundation.

The court specifically decided against the deposit process for Yang Geum-deok, who has submitted a document to the court expressing her intent to reject the government reimbursement scheme.

Separately, the court returned documents on the deposit process for Lee Chun-sik, another victim, citing insufficient paper work.

The latest decision has led to the view it could hurt the government's third-party compensation plan that was drawn up in efforts to improve long-frayed ties with Japan.

In a statement released Tuesday, the foreign ministry voiced regret over the decision, saying it had undergone thorough legal review of the matter ahead of launching the process and vowed not to accept it.

"We will immediately launch a process for objection and ask for the court's right judgment," the ministry said, also citing procedural flaws in the decision.

The government's third-party reimbursement plan had initially drawn strong protest following its announcement in March, as victims and civic groups demanded Tokyo's apology and direct involvement of the accused Japanese firms. Many plaintiffs, however, later decided to accept it.

Meanwhile, a civic group supporting the forced labor victims said citizen donations for those who rejected the government's plan have surpassed 100 million won (US$76,974) within just five days.

The campaign began Friday, and as of 6 p.m. Tuesday, the group had received 1,703 donations amounting to 132.42 million won, the organization said.

The amount has nearly doubled since the government initiated the process of depositing the compensation money for the defiant victims with the court Monday.

The actual amount is expected to be higher as contributions from overseas through a mobile app have yet to be counted, the group added.

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