A South Korean court has ordered Japan to compensate a group of women who were forced to work in military brothels during World War Two.
They filed a lawsuit in 2016 but Seoul Central District Court dismissed it five years later, citing sovereign immunity.
In a statement the court said it recognises South Korea's jurisdiction over the Japanese government because the women lived in the country and sought compensation for acts deemed "unlawful".
It's estimated that more than 200,000 women and girls were forced into prostitution to serve Japanese soldiers in World War Two.
Japan's Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa called the ruling "extremely regrettable and absolutely unacceptable".
"Japan once again strongly urges the Republic of Korea to immediately take appropriate measures to remedy the status of its breaches of international law," she said.
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