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Korea is once again calling on the Japanese government to take sincere actions to resolve
the issue of Japan's use of sex slaves during the Second World War.
Seoul says... this has* to happen before a bilateral summit can be held between the two
sides. Hwang Sung-hee reports. South Korea called
on Japan Tuesday to show its sincerity by resolving the so-called "comfort women" issue,
amid speculation of a possible summit between the two neighbors.
This follows Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's recent declaration that his government
would honor Japan's landmark apology -- dubbed the Kono Statement -- issued in 1993 to the
victims of its wartime *** enslavement. But South Korean Foreign Ministry Spokesperson
Cho Tai-young said words are not enough.
"The sincere measures that we want to see are steps to resolve the issue. We want to
see the comfort women issue being resolved."
Abe's recent comments had fueled speculation of a possible meeting with his South Korean
counterpart at next week's Nuclear Security Summit in The Hague.
But Seoul's foreign ministry flatly denied reports that it had begun fine-tuning the
details of such a meeting. Since taking office last year, President Park
Geun-hye has refused to sit down with Abe, saying she would not meet with a leader who
fails to acknowledge his country's historical wrongdoings.
The Abe administration has been active in its efforts recently to engage in dialogue
with South Korea. With U.S. President Barack Obama set to visit
the two countries in April, Washington has been calling on Tokyo to mend ties with Seoul,
suggesting it may have been pressure rather than sincerity that drove Abe toward his change
in position. Hwang Sung-hee, Arirang News.
At a parliamentary meeting on Tuesday,... Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe described
Korea as... Japan's most important neighbor that shares his country's basic values and
strategic interests. Abe, in particular, hinted that he is willing
to hold talks with President Park on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit in The Hague
next week.