Abe Bids to Reconcile With Park by End of Anniversary Year
- Japan's foreign minister to meet counterpart in Seoul Dec. 28
- 'Comfort women' issue among toughest dividing Asian neighbors
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe aims to resolve a sensitive issue fraying relations with South Korea in the final days of the year marking the 50th anniversary of the normalization of ties between Japan and its former colony.
Abe’s Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida announced Friday he would visit South Korea Dec. 28 to discuss with his counterpart a potential agreement on compensating Korean "comfort women," who were trafficked to Japanese military brothels before and during World War Two. Abe is considering setting up a fund for the women and offering a message of apology that would refer to Japan’s responsibility for their treatment, the Nikkei newspaper said. In return, Japan would seek confirmation that President Park Geun Hye’s administration will consider the matter closed, the paper said.