Two South Korean business lobbies have donated 3 billion won, or over 2 million dollars, to a foundation that pays compensation to plaintiffs of wartime labor lawsuits against Japanese firms.



The government-backed foundation pays compensation to people who say they or their relatives were forced to work for Japanese firms during World War Two.



The foundation said the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Federation of Korean Industries each gave 1.5 billion won for compensation to the plaintiffs of wartime labor lawsuits.



Responsibility for payments in such cases was shifted to the foundation as the government sought to end a dispute with Japan over payouts in such lawsuits.



But the organization fell short of cash after South Korea's Supreme Court issued a series of rulings in favor of the plaintiffs between 2023 and 2024.



Prior to the business lobby donations to the foundation, South Korean steel giant POSCO has been the main funder. The steelmaker had received economic assistance from Japan based on a 1965 bilateral agreement.



The recent donations represent the first to the foundation by commerce organizations.



A South Korean Foreign Ministry source says the lobbies took the action to remember the historical pain of the victims, and to fulfill their social responsibility as business organizations.



The foundation is said to be about 6 billion won short even after the last donations.



Japan has said that any right to wartime claims was settled completely and finally under an agreement when the two countries normalized ties in 1965.