Park urges Abe to make decision on wartime sex slavery

SEOUL, Nov. 13 (Yonhap) -- President Park Geun-hye pressed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Friday to make a decision to resolve the issue of former South Korean sex slaves for Japan's World War II soldiers. Seoul-Tokyo relations remain badly frayed largely because of Japan's refusal to atone for its past wrongdoings stemming from its colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula from 1910-45. One of the key pending issues is a demand by former Korean sex slaves for an apology and compensation from Japan. Park warned that the issue would become "a heavy historic burden" on the Japanese government as well as on future generations in Japan unless it is addressed. The issue has gained urgency in recent years as the victims are dying off. In 2007, more than 120 South Korean victims were alive, but the number has since dropped to 47, with their average age standing at nearly 90. "I expect the Japanese government to quickly present a solution that is acceptable to the victims and deemed reasonable by the Korean people so that the Japanese government will help restore the honor of the 47 surviving victims and heal their wounds before they pass away," Park said in a joint interview with major news agencies in Asia and Pacific region. The interview came days before Yonhap News Agency is set to host the executive board meeting of the Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies. Earlier this month, Park met with Abe in their first bilateral summit and they agreed to expedite consultations for the early resolution of the issue, without specifying a time frame. "I believe now is high time to make a decision to attend to the wounds from the past and heal them," Park said. Park's comments came just days after South Korea and Japan failed to produce any specific deal in their latest round of talks on the issue. The two neighbors plan to hold the next round of talks as early as possible. No specific date has been set yet entropy@yna.co.kr (END)