Contrary to ongoing diplomatic efforts to improve bilateral ties frayed by colonial-era issues and Tokyo's retaliatory trade restrictions, the Japanese government sent a Korean victim of wartime forced labor 99 yen as her pension.

According to a KBS report on Wednesday, Jeong Shin-yeong, one of the victims who was forced into labor for 18 months from 1944, filed a damages suit against Japanese firm Mitsubishi Heavy Industries one and a half years ago, 75 years after Korea's liberation.

In order to substantiate her claim of forced labor, Jeong requested from the Japanese government a record of her welfare pension registration, as well as remittance of her pension withdrawal allowance.

Last month, the Japan Pension Service under the welfare ministry deposited 931 won into Jeong's account, which is estimated to be around 99 yen, calculated without considering inflation and other factors.

The ministry had sent similar amounts of 99 yen and 199 yen to legal representatives of other victims in 2009 and in 2015, respectively, in the form of pension withdrawals.

The payment to Jeong was made some ten days before foreign minister Park Jin visited Japan last month to seek a resolution to the forced labor issue.