President Moon calls for 'future-oriented' relations with Japan

SEOUL, Jan. 14 (Yonhap) -- President Moon Jae-in on Thursday urged Japan to swiftly work toward "future-oriented" bilateral relations, after a Seoul court ordered Tokyo to compensate South Korean women forced into sexual slavery for Japan's Imperial Army during World War II.

Moon made the remarks during a meeting with outgoing Japanese ambassador to South Korea, Koji Tomita, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok.

Moon told the Japanese envoy that South Korea and Japan are the "closest neighbors and most important partners" for achieving peace and prosperity in Northeast Asia and the world, according to Kang.

Moon said the two nations must make efforts to continue dialogue despite unresolved issues between the two nations.

In a landmark ruling, the Seoul Central District Court ordered last week the Japanese government to pay reparations of 100 million won (US$91,300) each to 12 former South Korean women, who were forced to serve as sexual slaves for front-line Japanese soldiers during the war.

According to historians, up to 200,000 women, mostly Koreans, were coerced into sexual servitude at front-line Japanese brothels during the war when the Korean Peninsula was a Japanese colony.

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