S. Korea to set aside own funds for victims of wartime sex slavery
South Korea's Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha speaks during a briefing on the 2015 South Korea-Japan agreement over South Korea's "comfort women" issue at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul on January 9, 2018.
South Korea's top diplomat said Tuesday that the country will set aside its own funds to support the victims of Japan's wartime sex slavery, reiterating Seoul's stance that the 2015 agreement with Japan cannot resolve the wartime crime against humanity.
Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha told a nationally televised press conference that the 2015 agreement, which failed to reflect opinions of the victims, cannot become a real resolution to the "comfort women" issue.
Kang, however, noted that her country will not demand renegotiation with the Japanese government over the deal as the 2015 agreement was an official deal between governments of the two countries.
The previous South Korean government reached a final and irreversible agreement with the Japanese government, led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, on December 28, 2015, over the issue on "comfort women" victims.
The new South Korean government under President Moon Jae-in, who took office in May last year, reviewed the 2015 agreement as the victims protested against it, revealing secret deals with Japan.
Following the review result announcement, President Moon said the 2015 deal cannot resolve the "comfort women" issue.
