South Korea's incoming Foreign Minister Park Jin said Wednesday that a bilateral agreement signed with Japan in 2015 over wartime "comfort women" is official, offering a hint of how the new government, led by President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, would approach history issues with Tokyo.
The term "comfort women" is a euphemism for those who suffered under Japan’s military brothel system before and during World War II. They were forced or coerced into sexual servitude under various circumstances, including abduction, deception and poverty.
The two countries signed a deal in December 2015 to put an end to the historical feud over the women. However, the current Moon Jae-in government that came into office in 2017 described it as "seriously flawed," after which bilateral ties sank to the lowest point in years.