SEOUL, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- South Korea urged Japan Wednesday to take a prudent response to the South Korean top court's rulings on the victims who were forced by the Imperial Japan into labor during World War II.

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha had phone talks with her Japanese counterpart, Taro Kono, earlier in the day to exchange opinions on the Supreme Court's rulings on the forced labor victims, according to Seoul's foreign ministry.

Kang explained to Kono about the South Korean government's position, urging Japan to take a prudent response to the top court's rulings. They agreed to continue close communications.

The two-paragraph press release did not elaborate further on what was discussed between Kang and Kono.

The Supreme Court ruled in late November that Mitsubishi Heavy Industries must compensate 10 South Koreans, who forcibly worked at the Japanese company's shipyard and other plants without pay during the Pacific War, and a bereaved family member of a victim on two separate suits.

It followed the top court's order in late October that Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp., Japanese steelmaker, must pay reparations to four South Korean forced labor victims.

The Korean Peninsula was colonized by Japan from 1910 to 1945.

Japan protested against the rulings, saying all colonial-era issues were settled through the 1965 state-to-state treaty that normalized diplomatic relations between Seoul and Tokyo.

The South Korean top court said the 1965 accord did not eliminate individual rights to claim damages. Enditem

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