Abe opposes review of Tokyo-Seoul comfort women deal

August 16, 2017

TOKYO- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday expressed his strong opposition to any review of the landmark 2015 Tokyo-Seoul deal to resolve the issue of so-called comfort women.

According to former Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, Abe said during a meeting with him that it is "absolutely impossible that the goal posts would move."

Kawamura, who serves as secretary-general for the Japan-Korea Parliamentarians' Union, also quoted the prime minister as saying: "The agreement is everything. I don't think at all that there could be something extra."

Japan and South Korea reached an agreement in December 2015 to "finally and irreversibly" resolve their dispute over Korean comfort women, who were forced to sexually serve Japanese soldiers before and during World War II.

Abe's remarks came after the South Korean foreign ministry launched a task force to examine the comfort women accord late last month, following the inauguration of President Moon Jae-in in May.

In a speech in Seoul on Tuesday, Moon called on Japanese leaders to adopt a "courageous attitude" over the comfort women issue, suggesting his frustration with the Japanese government's position on the issue while avoiding direct reference to the 2015 accord.Jiji Press