Tokyo's despicable denial

Despite strong protests and denouncements at home and abroad, Tokyo once again stirred up confrontation with neighboring countries by accusing South Korea of influencing the content and wording of the Kono Statement, said a Xinhua News Agency commentary.

In a so-called review submitted to parliament on Friday, the Japanese government questioned the credibility of the Kono Statement, an apology released in 1993 by Japan's then-chief cabinet secretary Yohei Kono for the more than 200,000 women from other Asian countries forced to serve in its military brothels during World War II.

Asian countries have demanded the Shinzo Abe government make an official apology and compensate these so-called comfort women, a euphemism for the young women forced into sex slavery.