Korea says deal on 'comfort women' reached with principle

Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday that a landmark deal with Japan on the issue of Korean women forced into sexual slavery for Japanese soldiers during World War II was reached in accordance with principle.On Monday, the two countries announced the agreement on the former sex slaves that centered on Japan's admission of responsibility for the wartime crime and plans to pay reparations to the victims."(The deal) was reached in accordance with the firm principle that victims' honor should be restored, and

Dec. 29, 2015

North Korea condemns South Korea-Japan deal on sex slaves

North Korea criticized South Korea Tuesday for reaching a deal with Japan over Tokyo's wartime sex slavery, calling it a "humiliating agreement" that missed holding the Japanese state responsible for such atrocities.A day earlier, Seoul and Tokyo reached a rare deal to resolve the issue over Korean women forced into Japan's sex slaves during World War II. The agreement included Japan's apology for Korean victims and a 1 billion yen ($8.29 million) fund to be created with Japan's money, but it fa

Dec. 29, 2015

U.N. chief welcomes Korea-Japan agreement on wartime sexual slavery

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed Monday's landmark agreement between South Korea and Japan on resolving the issue of Japan's wartime sexual slavery, expressing hope for improved relations between the two countries."The secretary-general welcomes that the governments of Japan and the Republic of Korea have reached an agreement on the issues related to 'comfort women' at the bilateral Foreign Ministers meeting held in Seoul on 28 December," Ban's spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said in a

Dec. 29, 2015

Korea-Japan deal shows 'leadership,' 'courage,' 'statesmanship' of leaders: U.S. experts

The breakthrough deal between South Korea and Japan on resolving the issue of Japan's wartime sexual slavery was made possible thanks to "leadership," "courage" and "statesmanship" of the leaders of the two countries, U.S. experts said Monday.The experts also said that the agreement paves the way for greater trilateral security cooperation with the U.S. to deal with a rising China and a nuclear North Korea. What's important now is for Seoul and Tokyo to fight back nationalist pressure and sincer

Dec. 29, 2015

U.S. praises Korea, Japan for reaching breakthrough deal on wartime sexual slavery

The United States on Monday praised South Korea and Japan for reaching a breakthrough deal on resolving the issue of Japan's wartime sexual slavery that has seriously plagued relations between the two key American allies for years.South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and his Japanese counterpart, Fumio Kishida, reached the agreement in talks in Seoul earlier in the day, which centers on Japan's admission of responsibility for the wartime crime and plans to pay reparations to the victims.Th

Dec. 29, 2015

Experts divided over assessment of Seoul-Tokyo deal on sex slavery

South Korean experts showed mixed reactions Monday to an agreement by Seoul and Tokyo to resolve the issue of Japan's wartime sex slavery, saying that improvement of their frayed ties hinges on how to carry out the deal.   Earlier in the day, South Korea and Japan reached a landmark deal to settle the issue of Tokyo's wartime sexual enslavement of Korean women for Japanese soldiers during World War II.   Under the agreement, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed an "apology and repentance

Dec. 28, 2015

Challenges remain after landmark deal on 'comfort women'

The landmark agreement between South Korea and Japan to end their dispute over Japan's wartime sexual enslavement of Korean women has already prompted questions about whether it really is the end.   The two countries' top diplomats announced the terms of the deal in a press conference Monday, wrapping up 12 rounds of bilateral working-level talks that began in April 2014.   Key features of the agreement included a personal apology from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for his country's wartime

Dec. 28, 2015

Park calls for fresh ties with Japan over landmark deal

President Park Geun-hye expressed hope Monday that South Korea and Japan will build confidence and start bilateral relations anew based on a landmark deal on the comfort women.   South Korea and Japan "should turn the agreement into a precious opportunity to restore honor and dignity" to the comfort women and heal their scars, Park said in a telephone conversation with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, according to Cheong Wa Dae, South Korea's presidential office.   In the 13-minute conversati

Dec. 28, 2015

Korea confirms thousands of wartime forced labor sites

More than 8,300 places on the Korean Peninsula have been identified as wartime forced labor sites during Japanese colonial rule, a South Korean commission said Monday.It is the first time that the number of labor sites on the peninsula has been confirmed by the South Korean government. A total of 8,329 sites have been found since 2005, compared with 4,119 sites in Japan, the commission affiliated with the prime minister's office said. The sites can be proof to show Japan's use of the peninsula a

Dec. 28, 2015

Korea, Japan strike deal on 'comfort women'

South Korea and Japan reached a landmark deal on Monday to resolve the issue of Korean women forced into sexual slavery for Japanese soldiers during World War II.Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and his Japanese counterpart, Fumio Kishida, announced the agreement after talks at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul, which centered on Japan's admission of responsibility for the wartime crime and plans to pay reparations to the victims."The comfort women issue is an issue whereby many women under the then mi

Dec. 28, 2015

Korea, Japan FMs to meet over sex slave issue

The foreign ministers of South Korea and Japan are to meet Monday for talks on the issue of Korean women forced into sexual slavery for Japanese soldiers during World War II, a meeting that could set the tone for the future of bilateral ties.Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and his Japanese counterpart, Fumio Kishida, are scheduled to meet at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul later Monday, a day after the two sides concluded their 12th round of working-level talks on the issue.The meeting will be watch

Dec. 28, 2015

U.S. to host PSI conference next month

The United States will host a meeting next month of countries committed to working together to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction from states like North Korea, the State Department said.The Mid-level Political Meeting of the U.S.-led Proliferation Security Initiative will be held in Washington on Jan. 27, with Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation Thomas Countryman hosting the conference, the department said in a release."The Proliferation Se

Dec. 28, 2015

EU lauds Paris climate deal

The adoption of the historic agreement at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris on Dec. 12 was an “unprecedented political victory” and “turning point” toward sustainable international development, the French Embassy announced last week. Publicizing a statement from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development, the diplomatic mission stressed that the legally binding accord among 195 participating nations ― to cap global warming at 2 degrees Celsius above

Dec. 28, 2015

Korea, Japan to hold working-level talks on 'comfort women' issue

South Korea and Japan are set to hold a working-level meeting Sunday on the issue of former Korean sex slaves for Japan's World War II soldiers, officials said.  Lee Sang-deok, director-general handling Northeast Asian affairs at the Foreign Ministry, is scheduled to meet with his Japanese counterpart, Kimihiro Ishikane, around 3 p.m. in Seoul, officials said.  The two sides are expected to try to work out differences to ensure their top diplomats can produce a deal on wartime sexual slavery, th

Dec. 27, 2015