Lee said that for many South Koreans it would be "very difficult to accept" but "undesirable to overturn" them, referring to a murky deal struck by the former Park Geun-hye administration in 2015 to settle the matter.
The agreement let Japan off without further apologies, instead setting up a compensation fund for victims of sexual slavery during World War II.
At the time, the Park administration failed to immediately inform the victims that the deal was "final" and "irreversible" through secret concessions from Seoul, while trying to persuade them to accept it.
When asked whether his upcoming summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, slated for Saturday, would cover past deals and other historical issues, a Japanese Embassy official in Seoul declined to comment, saying it is "unclear" whether they are on the summit's agenda.
Calling Japan a "very important country," Lee also expressed hope to further strengthen "shuttle diplomacy" to mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two neighboring countries this year.
Lee also stressed that trilateral cooperation with the U.S. is vital to counter North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats and engage in talks on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Lee is set to depart for a two-day trip to Tokyo on Saturday, before heading to Washington for a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump next week.
reporter
Im Yoon-seo
lyseo0330@ajupress.com
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.
View more comments