Anchor: Diplomatic tensions between South Korea and Japan are expected to escalate further after Korean victims of Japan's wartime forced labor said they will seek a court order to sell off assets seized from Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. This comes after the Japanese firm rejected proposed negotiations proposed by the victims' legal representatives.
Choi You Sun has more.

Report: A civic group representing South Korean victims of Japan's wartime forced labor said on Tuesday that the victims will seek a court order to sell off local assets seized from Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

This comes after Mitsubishi Heavy failed to meet a Monday deadline to respond to the victims' latest request for negotiations to seek a comprehensive solution to the forced labor issue.

Mitsubishi Heavy, which had earlier said it would consult with Tokyo regarding the South Korean Supreme Court rulings, had already rejected talks with the victims twice before. 

Japan's stated position is that all reparation issues were settled in a 1965 bilateral treaty and that the reparation claims are thus invalid.

The victims expressed "deep regret" that their efforts to seek a solution through dialogue "for the sake of the development of South Korea-Japan relations" have failed.

The group representing them added that legal procedures can no longer be delayed, especially in consideration of the victims who have died since the cases were first filed and others who are in poor health.

In a landmark ruling last November, the Supreme Court ordered Mitsubishi Heavy to award up to 150 million won to five forced labor victims and their family members.

In March, a local district court ordered the seizure of the firm's two trademark rights and six patents in Korea after the company refused to comply with the compensation order. 

Japan's Kyodo News reported on Tuesday that Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono warned of possible retaliatory measures if the disposal of Mitsubishi Heavy's assets resulted in damages to the company.
Choi You Sun, KBS World Radio News.