Park Geun-hye urges Tokyo to stand by apology for 'comfort women'
South Korean president says Tokyo would find itself isolated if it went back on 1995 apology for wartime sexual enslavement of Asian women
South Korean President Park Geun-hye yesterday warned Japan would face isolation if it pushed ahead with a move to revisit an apology over wartime sex slavery.
Her warning, in a speech marking the anniversary of a 1919 anti-Japanese uprising, coincided with the opening of a rare exhibition in Seoul on "comfort women", a Japanese euphemism for women who were forced into military brothels during the second world war.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's administration is moving to reconsider a 1995 apology for the wartime sexual slavery, putting further stress on already frayed ties between the two neighbours.
"Historical truth is in testimony from the survivors. Japan would only bring isolation on itself if it turns a deaf ear to their testimony and sweeps it under the rug for political benefits", Park said.
Park called on Japan to follow Germany in repenting its past wrongs so that the two countries could put bitter memories behind them and "move forward for a new era of co-operation, peace and prosperity".
"I hope Japan extricates itself from denial of history and starts making a new history of truth and reconciliation", she said.