S. Korea’s leader apologizes to ex-sex slaves over Japan deal
South Korea’s president on Thursday apologized to Korean women forced into sexual slavery by Japan’s imperial army in World War II over what he called a flawed 2015 deal with Tokyo to settle long-running disputes over the issue.
President Moon Jae-in issued the apology during a meeting with nine former sexual slavery victims, all of them now elderly women. It’s the first time that Moon has apologized over the deal, which was struck before he took office last May.
«I feel sorry for the fact that the deal was reached without listening to your opinions and was against your wills. I’m offering words of apology as president,» Moon said.
Last week, a state-appointed panel concluded Seoul’s previous conservative government failed to properly communicate with the victims before reaching the deal. Moon later ordered officials to map out measures to meet the victims’ demands, though he said the issues over history shouldn’t affect the efforts to build «future-oriented» relations between the countries.
