S. Korea cautions Japan over comfort women row

Seoul, June 12: South Korea warned Japan on Monday to exercise caution when making remarks about bilateral ties, including the issue of Korean “comfort women” forced to work in Japanese military brothels during World War II.

The warning followed comments by Toshihiro Nikai, secretary general of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, during a visit to Seoul to meet President Moon Jae-in and lawmakers.

Mr Nikai said on Saturday that “those plotting schemes” to block bilateral ties from moving forward should be “eradicated”, several Japanese and South Korean media reported.

“I don’t know if in South Korea, there are even a handful but they must be eradicated,” Mr Nikai said.

He also expressed hope for the two countries to “get along well” and not to have relations tangled with “trivial matters”.

Mr Nikai’s office could not confirm his comments, which appeared not to include any direct reference to the “comfort women” issue.

‘Comfort women’ were forced to work in Japan’s wartime brothels

Civic groups feel Japan has not apologised properly over the issue

Tokyo and Seoul signed a controversial deal in 2015 to resolve the matter

But he came under fire from South Korean civic groups for possibly criticising people who support the reversal of a controversial agreement struck by Tokyo and Seoul’s former conservative government in 2015 to resolve the issue.

“Comments related to relations between South Korea and Japan, including those regarding the comfort women issue, should be made with care,” a South Korean foreign ministry official said, in response to Mr Nikai’s comments.

“Comfort women” refers to those forced to work in Japan’s wartime brothels, an issue that has long plagued bilateral ties.