South Korea has launched an initiative to resolve longstanding compensation claims from the victims of Japanese wartime forced labour practices.The “government-private consultative body” marks a concerted effort by South Korea’s conservative administration to repair the countries’ rocky relationship as Washington attempts to rally allies to counter China and deter nuclear-armed North Korea.

Relations collapsed in 2018 after South Korea’s supreme court ordered two Japanese companies to pay compensation to the victims of forced labour during Tokyo’s wartime control of the Korean peninsula.

The same year, South Korea effectively nullified a 2015 deal with Japan on the victims of sexual slavery by disbanding a foundation that was at the centre of the agreement.