Japan will respond if South Korea seizes Japanese assets: deputy PM Aso

Japan would need to respond if South Korea seizes Japanese assets over wartime forced labour disputes, Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso said on Tuesday, describing such a move as being in breach of international law.

"It's clearly against international law; that's our stance," Aso, who is also Japan's finance minister, told reporters at a regular news conference when asked about the issue.

"If (Japan's) assets were confiscated ... we would have no choice but to respond, so we must avoid that from happening," he said.