A foundation affiliated with the South Korean government has made payments to some plaintiffs over wartime labor issues in place of Japanese firms that were ordered to pay compensation.

Sources familiar with the matter said the payments were made this month.

The plaintiffs say they or their relatives were forced to work for the firms during World War Two. In 2018, South Korea's Supreme Court ordered the Japanese firms to pay them compensation.

In March, the South Korean government announced a plan to have a foundation under it pay damages to the plaintiffs in lieu of the firms.

The sources said the payments are the first under the program. They did not disclose the amount.

Some of the plaintiffs told NHK that they intend to accept payments from the foundation and are following the procedure required for them to do so.

But some others are opposed to the program, saying they want an apology and compensation from the Japanese firms.

The South Korean government will continue calling on such plaintiffs to accept the proposed solution.

The Japanese government says any right to claims was settled completely and finally in 1965, when Japan and South Korea normalized ties.