The verdict of a near decade-long multi-billion dollar lawsuit filed by a private equity firm against the South Korean government is expected next week.

According to the justice ministry on Wednesday, an International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes tribunal has notified it that the final ruling in the investor-state dispute settlement(ISDS) case filed by U.S. firm Lone Star will be announced on August 31.

In November 2012, Lone Star sought four-point-68 billion dollars in compensation from the government, claiming that the 2007 planned sale of its stake in the now-defunct Korea Exchange Bank to HSBC fell through due to an unreasonable delay in approval by Seoul.

The firm also accused the South Korean state tax agency of arbitrary and contradictory taxation.

Lone Star eventually sold its stake to Hana Financial Group for some three-point-nine trillion won in 2012, a sum the firm claims was much smaller than initially expected.

Seoul refuted Lone Star's claims, saying it applied uniform and consistent standards in accordance with international laws and regulations.