Anchor: Following the Yoon Suk Yeol government’s announcement of its plan to compensate victims of Japan’s wartime forced labor through a fund using domestic corporate donations on Monday, KBS surveyed South Koreans' initial response.
The plan has proven to be unpopular with the general public, with over 70 percent in favor of Seoul exercising its right to indemnity from the liable Japanese firms.
Choi You Sun reports.

Report: A KBS survey finds that more than half of respondents view the government’s plan to compensate victims of Japan’s wartime forced labor using domestic funds as a “wrong decision.”

Negative responses accounted for 53-point-one percent versus the 39-point-eight percent that approved, with opinions split by age groups as those in the 20s and 60s viewed the plan positively, while a majority of those in their 30s to 50s disapproved.

Opinions were close on the plan’s effect on the development of future-oriented relations between Seoul and Tokyo, with 51-point-five percent believing it will not help against 46-point-one percent who believe it will, a difference within the survey’s margin of error.

An overwhelming majority of 72-point-one percent felt that a lack of an apology and participation in the fund by the two liable Japanese firms rendered the plan only a partial solution, while 24-point-seven were satisfied with the outcome.

An even greater number of respondents were in favor of Seoul seeking indemnity from the two companies after the compensation is paid out through a fund of domestic corporate donations at 72-point-five percent, while 22-point-seven percent opposed such a move.

A majority of the respondents, 61-point-four percent, cited an apology from Tokyo and the accused Japanese companies as the most important part of any resolution, while a mere nine-point-seven percent said compensation should be swiftly paid regardless of the method.

The phone survey of one-thousand adults nationwide was conducted by Hankook Research on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Choi You Sun, KBS World Radio News.