ARIRANG NEWS 22:00
Hello... it′s Saturday March twenty-eighth... you are tuned in to our late night newscast coming to you from Arirang′s News Center in Seoul.
Thanks for joining us,... I′m Mark Broome.
Japanese PM makes vague remarks about wartime sex slavery
Our top story tonight...
Korea is toughening its call for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to show genuine remorse for Japan′s wartime atrocities during his trip to Washington next month.
This,... after Abe made some ill-defined comments to a leading U.S. daily about the tens of thousands of women who were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military during the Second World War.
Song Ji-sun reports.
Looking to deflect responsibility for Japan′s sexual enslavement of women during World War II,... Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has come up with carefully calculated terms to describe what the victims went through.
In an interview published in the Washington Post, Abe said the issue was a case of "human trafficking."
Watchers say Abe′s new description may acknowledge the historical facts,... but does so in a vague way that doesn′t identify Japan as the perpetrator.
The issue of Japan′s sexual enslavement of Korean women and Tokyo′s continual lack of atonement has driven Korea-Japan ties to new lows in recent years.
Abe said he felt pain for the women who had gone through immeasurable suffering because they were trafficked,... and admitted that their human rights were violated.
But he went on to say that his stance remains unchanged from previous administrations,... dampening hope for a clear apology during his trip to the United States next month, during which he will become the first Japanese prime minister to address a joint session of the U.S. Congress.
That honor was reportedly made possible due to Tokyo′s lobbying of a number of Pro-Japan congressmen, also known as the Japan Caucus.
In response to Abe′s remarks... the Korean government said the first step toward resolving the sex slavery issue for Japan is to clearly acknowledge its responsibility.
A government official said Abe′s use of the term "human trafficking" blurs the nature of the issue... and that is not acceptable to the victims or the international community.
Song Ji-sun, Arirang News.
Washington seeking stronger info-sharing ties with Korea, Japan
The United States is seeking to expand trilateral defense cooperation with Korea and Japan.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs David Shear says the intelligence sharing deal between the three countries was a "good first step"... and that Washington sees more opportunities for further arrangements.
He added the U.S. hopes Seoul and Tokyo make progress on the historical issues which have strained their ties.
South Korea, Japan and the U.S. agreed in December to voluntarily share sensitive military information on North Korea′s nuclear and missile programs.
President Park stres
