South Korea's visiting president pressed his Japanese counterpart Sunday to resolve a long-standing grievance regarding Korean women forced to serve as sexual slaves during World War II, calling it a "stumbling block" in their relations.
Japan maintains that the matter was settled by a bilateral treaty in 1965 that normalized relations, and Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said he reiterated that stance during their meeting in the ancient capital of Kyoto.
Victims say they want compensation and the prosecution of wrongdoers.
President Lee Myung-bak said only 63 women who have identified themselves publicly as former wartime sex slaves are still alive, average age 86. He said 16 such women died this year. (AP)
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