A civilian-government panel to discuss compensation for the victims of Japan’s wartime forced labor issue has reviewed a possibility of solving the matter through a third party other than the South Korean government nor the Japanese companies involved.

A senior official of Seoul’s foreign ministry who declined to be identified on Tuesday told reporters on the outcome of a fourth meeting of the South Korean panel presided over by first vice foreign minister Cho Hyun-dong the previous day.

While the meeting reportedly discussed several possibilities, including collecting funds through donations from companies in both countries, some observers say an immediate breakthrough is unlikely given repeated demands from the victims that the Japanese firms involved should fully pay for reparations.

The ministry official said the government will continue to communicate through various channels with the victims, their legal representatives and supporters on the matter.

Asked when the government will propose a solution, the official simply said it is working to come up with a swift and sincere plan.

Earlier, Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun quoted a senior Seoul official as saying that Seoul may present a solution to the issue to Tokyo as early next month.

Source: KBS World Radio