Japan summons Korean ambassador over forced labor compensation

The Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan, Hayashi Yoshimasa [AP/YONHAP]

The Japanese government on Wednesday summoned the Korean ambassador to Japan after a forced wartime labor victim's family received compensation deposited by a Japanese company.

Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japanese chief cabinet secretary, said during his daily press briefing that Japan’s vice foreign minister, Masataka Okano, summoned Korean Ambassador Yun Duk-min and called the situation "extremely unfortunate."

On Tuesday, a forced wartime labor victim received compensation worth 60 million won ($44,940) deposited by Japanese company Hitachi Zosen, which deposited it with the court in January 2019 as collateral to prevent compulsory execution.

According to Hayashi, Okano told Yun that withdrawing the Japanese deposit violated Article 2 of the 1965 bilateral settlement agreement on compensation and property claims and imposed unjust disadvantages on a Japanese company.

Hayashi also said that it was “extremely regrettable” regarding the withdrawal before the victim received the deposit.

This was the first case of a forced wartime labor victim receiving compensation from a Japanese company for their damage, according to the victim’s attorney.

The victim, surnamed Lee, was forcibly sent to Japan for labor during the Japanese occupation of Korea (1910-1945) and worked at the Japanese industrial and engineering corporation Hitachi Zosen Corporation.

Lee filed a lawsuit against Hitachi Zosen for damages in 2014, and the court ordered the company to pay Lee 50 million won plus delayed interest in the first and second trials.

The family of the victim received the compensation as Lee died before the Supreme Court ruling was delivered last December.

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]