Seoul: The Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling on Thursday, ordering Nippon Steel Corp. to compensate the family of a late South Korean who was forced into labor during Japan's colonial rule from 1910 to 1945. This marks the court's first decision on forced labor victim cases since its pivotal 2018 ruling, which held Japanese companies accountable for damages to such victims.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the Supreme Court affirmed the order for Nippon Steel to pay 100 million won (approximately US$67,900) to the family of the victim, Jeong Hyeong-pal. The case was initiated in 2019 by Jeong's four children, who sought 200 million won in damages. Jeong had reported being compelled to work at a steel mill in Iwate Prefecture, Japan, from 1940 to 1942.

The legal proceedings extended over several years, with Nippon Steel contending that the statute of limitations had expired. Typically, the statute of limitations for civil claims is 10 years, but exceptions exist for "objective reasons that make it impossible to resolve an incapacity."

Initially, a lower court ruled against Jeong's family in 2021. However, this decision was overturned by an appellate court last year, which recognized the 2018 Supreme Court decision as the point when the obstacle to the statute of limitations was removed, thus dismissing the Japanese company's argument.

Since the 2018 ruling, multiple court decisions have favored victims of forced labor.