NAGASAKI, July 26 Kyodo - A South Korean man who filed a lawsuit over medical allowances for victims of the 1945 U.S. atomic bombing of Nagasaki, died Sunday in South Korea while awaiting the ruling on the case, which was scheduled for September, his supporters said Monday.

Choi Gye Chol died at a hospital in Busan. The cause of death was not immediately known.

Choi, 78, was exposed to radiation at the time of the bombing on Aug. 9, 1945, and in 1980 the Japanese government granted him the right to receive medical benefits when he visited Japan.

But permission was invalidated later in the same year after he left Japan for South Korea.

In 2002 the Osaka High Court ruled against the government, enabling overseas victims to receive the allowances. Choi was then required to visit Japan again to apply to have his allowance reinstated.

In poor ill health, Choi was unable to travel and entrusted his supporters in Japan with the task. However, the Nagasaki municipal government dismissed their application and demanded Choi apply in person.

He then sued the city government in February seeking to overturn its decision.

Lawyers working for Choi asked the Nagasaki District Court to move quickly as his condition was worsening, the supporters said. The court is to hand down its ruling on Sept. 28.

''We wanted a judgment before his death,'' said Nobuto Hirano, one of the supporters. ''We will take over his hope.''

Choi had filed another lawsuit against the national and municipal governments for a total of about 9.6 million yen in unpaid allowances for 24 years, as well as compensation. ==Kyodo