South Korea has urged Japan to be cautious when making remarks about the "comfort women" issue, in light of controversial comments made by a Diet member, a South Korean Foreign Ministry official said Monday.
Toshihiro Nikai, secretary-general of the Liberal Democratic Party, spoke Saturday in Seoul about the need to "exterminate a handful of people plotting schemes" to block Japan-South Korean ties from moving forward. Nikai is visiting Seoul as an envoy of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Remarks about the bilateral relationship, including the crucial issue concerning the women who were forced to work in Japanese military brothels during the war, "must be made in a careful manner," the official said, adding that South Korea's position was conveyed to Japan through diplomatic channels.