Japan has strongly protested as South Korea’s Supreme Court ordered another Japanese company to compensate Korean victims of its forced labor during World War Two.

Following the ruling against Mitsubishi Heavy Industries on Thursday, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono said his government "deeply regrets" the South Korean court decision.

He said that the ruling cannot, by any means, be accepted.
 
The minister reiterated that issues related to the wartime past have all been finally settled with the 1965 bilateral pact that normalized the ties.

Kono said the ruling rattles the legal foundation of friendly and cooperative ties that Seoul and Tokyo have built since signing the 1965 accord.

He urged South Korea to immediately take appropriate measures to address the latest issue, warning that his government will mobilize all means possible, including taking the matter to international courts to protect the fair economic activities of its businesses.