Japan's Nippon Steel and Sumitomo Metal Corp. expressed deep regret Tuesday over the South Korean Supreme Court's ruling that the firm should compensate four South Koreans for forced labor during Japan's colonial rule.

The Korean court ordered the company to pay each of the South Korean plaintiffs 100 million won each.

The Japanese company said that goes against a 1965 bilateral treaty, and contradicts a 2003 Japanese Supreme Court decision in favor of the company in a case filed by two of the same South Korean plaintiffs.

The company says it will carefully review Tuesday's court decision, taking into account the Japanese government’s response.