Tokyo and Seoul finally last week resumed high-level diplomatic talks long stalled by differences over interpretations of history and territorial issues.

But the road ahead looks bumpy, as key differences remain over how to compensate former "comfort women" the Japanese military forced to work in its wartime brothels under harsh conditions.

Junichi Ihara, director general of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau of the Foreign Ministry, met Wednesday in Seoul to discuss the matter with Lee Sang-deok, director general of the Northeast Asian Affairs Bureau of the South Korean Foreign Ministry.