A lawyer for South Korean plaintiffs who won a wartime forced labor case against Japanese steel-maker Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp. last year indicated Thursday they will soon begin the process of liquidating the company's seized assets, possibly by the end of February, to secure compensation if it continues refusing to hold talks with them.
The lawyer also indicated that plaintiffs who recently won similar cases against Japanese machinery manufacturer Nachi-Fujikoshi Corp. may file for seizure of the company's assets as a provisional measure.
The plaintiffs' representatives plan to visit the head offices of Nippon Steel, Nachi-Fujikoshi and another company in Tokyo on Friday to press for negotiations before taking the actions.