A local civic group supporting the victims of Japan's wartime forced labor strongly protested against the government's decision on ways to compensate the victims.

The government on Monday announced that the country would compensate the victims through an existing public foundation funded by domestic firms instead of direct payment from liable Japanese companies.

Condemning the proposal, a civic group supporting the victims including Yang Geum-deok held a press conference on Monday at the May 18 Democracy Square in the southwestern city of Gwangju. 

The group said the Yoon administration nullified a judicial decision, relinquishing the country's judicial right.

The group said that the government also abandoned its diplomatic protection for its nationals, likening the proposal to the 1905 treaty that forcibly annexed Korea.

The civic group said that while Korea was forcibly deprived of its diplomatic rights by Japan 118 years ago, the Korean government itself gave up its responsibility of diplomatic protection of its citizens.