"The demands of the Korean side to take new measures, despite the fact that the Japanese-South Korean agreement confirmed final and irreversible solution to the 'comfort women' issue, are absolutely unacceptable. It is unacceptable for our country and we demand that both sides consistently implement the agreement," Suga told reporters.
Suga stressed that the agreement was signed by the foreign ministers of the two nations and was approved by the heads of state, adding that from an international perspective this is a significant document.
Earlier in the day, South Korean President Moon Jae-in was quoted as saying by Yonhap news agency that the 2015 deal with Japan was reached "in the wrong way," excluding the opinions of the victims. According to Moon, the issue can be completely resolved when Japan accepts the truth and makes an apology to the victims. At the same time, the South Korean government announced on Tuesday that it was not seeking to renegotiate the agreement.
READ MORE: S Korean President to Meet Former Comfort Women Amid Row With Japan — Reports
"Comfort women" is a term used to describe women forced to work in wartime brothels for the Japanese military during World War II. With the exact number of women involved in the practice still a subject of debate, most of the women were taken from countries occupied by Japan between 1932 and 1945, mainly Korea, China and the Philippines.
