The Japan-South Korea agreement to settle the issue of "comfort women" should not be considered a final resolution as it was concluded without consulting the victims, a support group for the women said in a statement.

"The bilateral talks were held in the absence of the victims. As a result, there still remains a lot of work to do to make it a 'final resolution,' " the Japan Action for Resolution of the Comfort Women Issue said this week.

The statement was issued after the two countries struck a deal on Monday in Seoul to "finally and irreversibly" resolve the long-standing dispute over the use of the women in wartime Japanese military brothels before and during World War II.