Senior diplomats from Japan and South Korea agreed Wednesday that improving frayed bilateral ties is an "urgent task" for the two neighbors amid increasing speculation that North Korea may carry out a nuclear test anytime soon.
In a meeting in Seoul, the officials confirmed that the two governments should keep discussing matters of concern, such as issues related to wartime labor and "comfort women," in a timely fashion so they will be resolved as soon as possible, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.
The term "comfort women" refers to women 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.