The fund for the victims of Japan’s sex slavery during World War II plans to offer each of its survivors some 100 million won ($89,500) and the families of the deceased victims 20 million won in cash benefits, Seoul officials said Thursday.

The decision came one day after Japan’s Cabinet approved the transfer of 1 billion yen ($9.9 million) pledged under the two countries’ Dec. 28 settlement intended to end the disputes.

Seoul has since set up the Reconciliation and Healing Foundation, a public-private entity, to hear the wants and needs of the victims and their guardians, and design relevant programs with the goal of helping them “regain honor and dignity and heal the wounds in their hearts.”

As of end-2015, 245 women are registered as sex slavery victims, with 46 of them remaining alive.

The money will be doled out mainly in installments after the foundation surveys individual demands, an official at Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said.

The two countries are also currently in talks over a possible delivery of a letter of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe by Tokyo’s ambassador to Seoul, alongside the financial benefits, he added.

“The 100 million won is not meant to be a ceiling but approximate scale -- a survivor I’ve met said she wants to pay for her grandchild’s heart surgery in which case the payment may be made in a lump sum provided, while others would want to take it as living expenses or for family support,” the official told reporters on customary condition of anonymity.

“But the key is that we will take good care of the funds and tailor-make our support so that they will be spent effectively.”

The ministry also pledged to make best efforts in cooperation with the foundation officials to “bring every victim’s families on board.”

Yet controversy persists as some victims remain fiercely resistant to the agreement. While most of them have displayed consent to the deal, some opponents are refusing even to meet with the foundation officials, according to the diplomats.

The two nations are also at odds over the nature of the money, with Korea viewing it as de facto compensation for the atrocities and Japan seeking to allot it from its budget designated for official development assistance and other irrelevant items.

The planned cash disbursements are set to obscure the organization’s future sustainability.

Seoul initially had said the funds would also be spent for commemoration projects but now appears to be planning to distribute them all to the victims and virtually close the foundation.

But the official argued that 20 percent of the grants will be used to carry out commemoration programs in line with the original plan.

“In principle, it is normal for a foundation to disband once its planned project is finished, but the timing is to be discussed according to the project’s progress,” he said.

“Regarding the character of the funds, we’ve made the decision focusing on how to help the aging survivors regain their honor despite legal and other realistic boundaries. What’s important is substance, rather than title.”

By Shin Hyon-hee (heeshin@heraldcorp.com)