Protest over South Korean government's plan to compensate Japan's forced labour victims

Anti-Japan and anti-Yoon Suk Yeol rally, Mar 7, 2023 : South Korean victims of Japan's wartime forced labour Yang Geum-Deok (2nd R) and Kim Seong-Joo (3rd R) attend an anti-Japan and anti-South Korean government rally, along with lawmakers of opposition parties and protesters, at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea. They denounced President Yoon Suk-Yeol government's proposed plan to compensate South Korean victims of Japan's wartime forced labor through a Seoul-backed public foundation, instead of direct payment from responsible Japanese firms. The plan was announced by South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin a day ago to resolve the issue of compensating 15 Korean victims who won legal battles against two Japanese firms accused of mobilizing them for hard labour during World War II, when Korean peninsula was under Japan's colonization. The victims and civic groups protested the decision, saying that it effectively nullifies rulings by South Korean Supreme Court in 2018, local media reported. Signs read, "Withdraw the government's plan to compensate victims of Japan's wartime forced labor!", "Yoon Suk-Yeol's humiliating diplomacy OUT!" and "Mitsubishi apologize and compensate!". (Photo by Lee Jae-Won/AFLO) (SOUTH KOREA)