Japanese media reports that if Japanese corporate assets are seized and sold off following South Korea's court ruling on wartime forced labor, the Tokyo government could consider filing a compensation request against the Seoul government.

The Yomiuri Shimbun daily and Kyodo News on Saturday cited a Japanese foreign ministry official remarking Friday that if Japanese firms face an unfair disadvantage in Korea, the state inevitably needs to take action.

The official told reporters that such a move would be a legal step rather than a response measure. 

South Korean plaintiffs asking for wartime compensation last month filed a court request to begin procedures for the sale of assets of Japanese firms, and the asset disposal may take place as early as August. 

Tokyo has been demanding measures from Seoul to prevent Japanese firms from inflicting losses.