Japan slams South Korea politician's apology remark

SEOUL, March 27 (UPI) -- Japan's chief cabinet secretary said Wednesday remarks from a South Korean politician regarding a Japanese apology was "highly inappropriate."

In the latest sign Tokyo and Seoul have yet to resolve conflicting views over issues of history, wartime mobilization of "comfort women," and forced laborers, Yoshihide Suga said the Japanese government has lodged a complaint, Jiji Press reported.

"The series of comments [from South Korean National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang] are highly inappropriate," Suga said at a regular press briefing. "I do not wish to comment on it any further."

Suga also said Tokyo requested a retraction and an apology for Moon's comments. Kenji Kanasugi, director general of Asia and Oceania affairs at Japan's foreign ministry, lodged the complaint with the South Korean embassy in Tokyo.

In an interview published Wednesday in South Korean newspaper Hankyoreh, Moon, no relation to President Moon Jae-in, had said the "most important thing" is a "sincere apology" from a Japanese head of state, such as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe or a member of the Japanese monarchy, to surviving comfort women.

Moon's comments come at a time when Korean plaintiffs in a wartime labor case are suing Japanese firms.

The assets of Nippon Steel and Sumitomo Metal Corp., Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and Nachi-Fujikoshi Corp. have been seized, South Korean news service Newsis reported Thursday. The assets that are being seized are in the form of stocks and bonds, according to the report.

A South Korean court in Daejeon also approved the seizure of trademark rights and patents belonging to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

The case is still pending at South Korea's supreme court, according to Kyodo News.