A South Korean civic group said Wednesday that it has filed an application with Chinese and Dutch groups to have documents related to the "comfort women" listed in UNESCO's Memory of the World Register.

The group said the application was made with the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Tuesday for about 2,700 pieces of material linked to females forced into wartime Japanese military brothels.

The move came as the South Korean government launched a preparation committee on Tuesday to carry out work for the setting up of a foundation tasked with helping improve the lives of aging Korean former comfort women.

The establishment of the foundation is a key part of the landmark deal reached between South Korea and Japan on Dec. 28 to resolve the simmering bilateral issue "finally and irreversibly."