U.S. Congressman Mike Honda has praised Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's reported willingness to compensate the victims of Japan's past aggressions.

In an interview with KBS, Honda said he hopes and expects the issue will be resolved.

Honda played a big part in the 2007 U.S. House of Representatives' adoption of a resolution calling for Tokyo to compensate the victims of wartime-era sexual slavery.

The U.S. lawmaker also said that Japan's recent proposal to pay 99 yen (just over one U.S. dollar) to Korean victims of colonial labor was ridiculous.

The ethnic Japanese lawmaker has been representing the victims' side on the issues and could play the part of an intermediary for negotiations on compensation.