By Yoon Sojung

President Moon Jae-in said that the negotiations between the governments of Korea and Japan concerning the so-called "comfort women" issue were flawed in terms of both procedure and content, and he has asked that Tokyo face the truth of its history.

The two governments previously held negotiations concerning the issue of sexual slavery during Korea's colonial occupation and World War II on Dec. 28, 2015.

In a statement released by Cheong Wa Dae, spokesperson Park Soo-hyun, the Korean president said that, “The negotiations over the 'comfort women' issue between Seoul and Tokyo violated universal principles established by the international community in settling historic issues, and above all it was a political agreement that excluded the directly-related party and citizens.”

“The unopened deal, which was later confirmed to be existant, greatly disappointed the citizens,” he said.

“Though on the surface the deal approached an agreement between the two governments, as well as the citizens, I, as president, make it clear again that the 'comfort women' issue cannot be settled through such a manner,” said President Moon.

“Truth is what matters most in history,” said President Moon.

“We need to face our painful history, although we may want to avoid it,” he said.

"I hope that both Korea and Japan can overcome their unfortunate history and become true-hearted friends,” said the president.

Regarding bilateral relations between Seoul and Tokyo, President Moon said, “Apart from the history issues, I will work to restore diplomatic relations with Japan and to ensure our future-looking cooperation.”

arete@korea.kr