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Wednesday, December 27, 2017, 15:25
ROK confirms existence of secret deal with Japan on comfort women
By Xinhua
Wednesday, December 27, 2017, 15:25 By Xinhua

People throng a "comfort women" memorial at St. Mary Square in San Francisco, the United States, Sept 22, 2017. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

SEOUL - The Republic of Korea on Wednesday confirmed the existence of secret agreement with Japan in the 2015 deal between the two countries over the sexual slavery victims of the ROK who were forced into sex enslavement for Japanese military brothels during World War II.    

The task force team under Seoul's foreign ministry announced a review result on the deal with Japan, reached on Dec 28, 2015 under the previous ROK government to reach a "final and irreversible" agreement on comfort women victims.     

The victims said the Japanese government had yet to take its legal responsibility and make its sincere apology for the wartime brutality   

Comfort women refers to the Korean women who were kidnapped, coerced or duped into sex servitude for Japan's Imperial Army during the Pacific War. Historians say up to 200,000 girls and young women fell victim to the war crime against humanity.     

ALSO READ: Korean 'comfort woman' dies as issue clouds Seoul-Tokyo ties

The review result said some of the bilateral agreements was not disclosed to the general public, noting that Japan demanded the ROK persuade civic groups supporting the sex slavery victims to accept the 2015 deal.    

Then ROK government under impeached President Park Geun-hye promised to make efforts at persuading the advocacy groups for the victims, but it actually accepted the Japanese side's demand, the task force team said.     

The ROK victims harshly protested against the deal after foreign ministers of the two countries announced it. Under the deal, Japan vowed to provide 1 billion yen (about US$9 million) for a foundation dedicated to supporting the sex slavery victims in return for the ROK's final and irreversible agreement to the wartime atrocity.     

The victims said the Japanese government had yet to take its legal responsibility and make its sincere apology for the wartime brutality, demanding the annulment of the 2015 deal.    

The new ROK government under President Moon Jae-in who took office in May, said the 2015 deal was not "emotionally" acceptable to ordinary South Koreans, ordering a review of the whole procedure in reaching the agreement.

READ MORE: S. Korea finds WWII sex victims shut out in deal with Japan

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