Japan's Nippon Steel Corporation appealed a South Korean court's decision to seize its assets after it refused to follow a court order to compensate Korean victims of wartime forced labor.

The Japanese firm submitted the appeal on Friday at the Pohang branch of the Daegu District Court.

It's the first time Nippon Steel has responded to the South Korean Supreme Court ruling in 2018 that it pay compensation of 100 million won each to four Koreans forced into wartime labor.

After the company refused to pay, the victims sought a court seizure of Nippon Steel's assets in South Korea -- its stake in PNR, a joint venture established with the country's top steelmaker POSCO.

When documents outlining the Daegu court's seizure decision were misplaced after being delivered to Japan's Foreign Ministry, the court conveyed its decision through public notice, which took effect on Tuesday.

Through its appeal, Nippon Steel is believed to be trying to delay the compensation process.