'Comfort women issue remains unresolved,' says South Korea's President Lee ahead of maiden visit to Japan
South Korea commemorates Comfort Women Memorial Day on Aug.14, a day ahead of Liberation Day, when Korean Peninsula defeated Japanese colonial rule
ANKARA
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said on Thursday that the "comfort women" issue will not be resolved until the "truth of history is established."
"We will do everything we can to restore their honor and dignity," Lee wrote on the US social media platform Facebook, ahead of his maiden visit to Japan next week.
The term "comfort women" refers to Korean women who were abducted and forced to work as sex slaves for Japan before and during World War II.
Tokyo believes the issue has been resolved in the past.
"This year marks the 80th anniversary of liberation, but the victims of the comfort women system are still unable to enjoy freedom and peace. This is because the comfort women issue has not been resolved despite the passage of time," he said in his message commemorating Comfort Women's Memorial Day on August 14.
"Liberation is incomplete unless historical truth is established," he added. The divided Koreas celebrate the liberation of the Korean Peninsula from Japanese colonial rule on Aug. 15.
"Today, 34 years ago, the late grandmother Kim Hak-soon broke her long silence and came forward to testify about her victimization as a comfort woman for the Japanese military."
On Aug. 14, 1991, Kim became the first to give a public testimony about her experience as a comfort woman victim.
In 2012, the South Korean government declared Aug. 14 as the International Memorial Day for Comfort Women.
"It was not just an accusation that brought to light the horrors of wartime sexual violence but also the most fundamental and solemn appeal that human dignity must never be violated, no matter how extreme the circumstances," he added.
"I will do my utmost to ensure that the honor and dignity of the comfort women victims are fully restored," he maintained.
Lee will visit Tokyo on Aug. 23 to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba before flying to the US for a summit with President Donald Trump.
It is the first time that a South Korean president will meet Japan's leader before meeting the US president.
*Writing by Aamir Latif
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