South Korea reviews ‘comfort women’ deal

SEOUL: South Korea Monday began agreement with Japan over Second World War sex slaves, formally reopening an issue that still strains ties between the US allies.

Mainstream historians say up to but also other parts of Asia including China, were forced to work in Japanese military brothels during World War II.

The plight of the so-called “comfort women” is a hugely emotional issue that has marred relations between the Asian neighbors for decades. For many South Koreans it epitomizes the abuses of Japan’s - rean peninsula.

South Korea and Japan reached a offered an apology and one bil a foundation for the dwindling number of comfort women who are still alive.

The deal, reached by the previous Seoul administration of Park GeunHye, was condemned by some of the women and South Korean activists, who took issue with Japan’s refusal to accept formal legal responsibility and questioned the sincerity of its apology.

A government-appointed task force was launched Monday to investigate the deal, Seoul’s foreign ministry said.

“Our task is to thoroughly review the problems in the negotiations and in the agreement itself,” its head Oh Tai-Kyu told reporters after its will consider “whether the opinions of the victims have been fully

New President Moon Jae- In had promised a review on the campaign trail.

But the move threatens to complicate relations with Tokyo, even as the two countries, both of them security allies of Washington, face threats from nuclear-armed North Korea.

Japan maintains two countries must the agreement.

Since its signing it has pressed Seoul to remove a statue of a girl erected in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul by activists to symbolize the victims of sex slavery.

They have since put up more statues— including one outside the Japanese consulate in Busan— which led to Tokyo recalling its ambassador for three months earlier this year. that the abide by