Japan addresses 'comfort women' issue in message to South Korea

Aug. 14 (UPI) -- Japan has delivered a message to the South Korean government regarding the issue of Korean "comfort women" forced to serve in wartime brothels, according to a Japanese press report.

NHK reported Tuesday that Tokyo has told Seoul of the "importance of following through" on a 2015 agreement signed by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and former South Korean President Park Geun-hye.

Current President Moon Jae-in has found fault with the agreement to provide about $8 million to $9 million through private funds to surviving victims. Survivors have said they were not consulted on the agreement in 2015.

Tokyo's message to Moon came immediately after Moon had declared Aug. 14 a memorial day for Korean comfort women, according to Kyodo News.

"The comfort women issue is not just a historical problem between South Korea and Japan. It is an issue of sexual abuse of women during wartime and at the same time an issue of women's rights," Moon said at a ceremony on Tuesday.

In what appeared to be a response and reaction to Moon's statement, the Japanese foreign ministry, through its embassy in Seoul, re-emphasized the importance of "diligently" realizing the Korea-Japan agreement of 2015, according to NHK.

The message was subsequently delivered to the South Korean foreign ministry.

On Tuesday Moon also said diplomacy would not solve the longstanding historical issue between the two countries.

Japan has previously warned South Korea, when Seoul has made moves to memorialize the comfort women.

According to Yonhap, the Japanese foreign ministry expressed "strong concern" when Seoul's Ministry of Gender Equality and Family decided to install a monument to the comfort women at a national cemetery in 2017.

There are now 27 surviving comfort women, according to reports.