Tomiichi Murayama, the former Japanese prime minister known for his 1995 apology over the country's wartime aggression, met on Tuesday with three South Korean "comfort women" who served as sex slaves to Japanese troops.

"Please stay healthy," the 89-year-old former premier told the women as he clasped their hands at an exhibition of artworks by comfort women being held in Seoul.

Murayama arrived on Tuesday for a three-day visit at the invitation of an opposition party.

One of the three women, Kang Ul-chul, said through an interpreter that the Japanese government should apologize properly to the former sex slaves and provide compensation.

They also presented him with one of the artworks, titled Flower Destroyed Unbloomed.

Murayama served as Japan's prime minister from 1994 to 1996 and is best remembered for his 1995 speech in which he publicly apologized for Japanese atrocities during World War II.

AFP

(China Daily 02/12/2014 page12)