Japan says ‘no alternative’ to ‘comfort women’ deal after South Korean president dismisses it
Under the accord, endorsed by Shinzo Abe and Moon’s conservative predecessor, Park Geun-hye, Japan apologised to surviving victims and provided 1 billion yen to a welfare fund
Japan and South Korea are set on a diplomatic collision course after South Korean President Moon Jae-in dismissed as unworkable a 2015 agreement on Japan’s wartime use of sex slaves.
Tokyo responded by saying there is “no other policy option” but to maintain the deal.
Moon said in a statement on Thursday the agreement was “seriously flawed” and “cannot solve” the countries’ long-standing dispute over the “ comfort women ” – a euphemism for tens of thousands of women and girls, mostly from the Korean peninsula, who were coerced into working in Japanese military brothels before and during the second world war.
“This runs afoul of the established universal principle of the international community for settling history issues, and above all, it was a political agreement that excludes the victims themselves and citizens,” Moon said of the deal.
“Along with citizens, I, as president, make it clear again that the comfort women issue can’t be settled through this deal.”
