Japan PM says U.S. Japan South Korea cooperation on North Korea is firm
Shinzo Abe
TOKYO (Reuters)  - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe  speaking before leaving for the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics   said on Friday  he  wanted to convey to the world that cooperation among the United States  Japan and South Korea on the North Korean threat remained firm.
 Abe  who is set to meet South Korean President Moon Jae-in  later on Friday  said  he  and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence had reconfirmed that Washington and Tokyo stood together “100 percent” at meetings in the Japanese capital this week.
“Taking that into account  I want to make the leaders’ meeting (with Moon) one that sends the message to the world that U.S.-Japan-South Korea cooperation toward the North Korea threat will not waver ”  Abe  said.
The North’s high-ranking delegation  including the younger sister of its leader Kim Jong Un  will meet Moon and have lunch with  him  on Saturday.
 Abe  also said  he  would convey to Moon Tokyo’s position on a 2015 bilateral agreement on “comfort women” - many Korean - who were forced to work in Japanese military brothels during World War Two  while urging “future-oriented” two-way ties.
Under the 2015 deal between Japan and South Korea  reached by  Abe  and Moon’s predecessor  Japan apologized to former “comfort women” and provided a 1 billion yen ($9 million) fund to help them. But South Korea has said the agreement failed to meet victims’ needs  calling for more steps.
Abe  whose decision to attend the Games opening ceremony angered some of  his  conservative backers  has rejected those calls  saying the agreement will not be altered “by even one millimeter”.
[TGT]speaking before leaving for the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics   said on Friday  [TGT]  wanted to convey to the world that cooperation among the United States  Japan and South Korea on the North Korean threat remained firm.
 Abe  who is set to meet South Korean President Moon Jae-in  later on Friday  said  he  and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence had reconfirmed that Washington and Tokyo stood together “100 percent” at meetings in the Japanese capital this week.
“Taking that into account  I want to make the leaders’ meeting (with Moon) one that sends the message to the world that U.S.-Japan-South Korea cooperation toward the North Korea threat will not waver ”  Abe  said.
The North’s high-ranking delegation  including the younger sister of its leader Kim Jong Un  will meet Moon and have lunch with  him  on Saturday.
 Abe  also said  he  would convey to Moon Tokyo’s position on a 2015 bilateral agreement on “comfort women” - many Korean - who were forced to work in Japanese military brothels during World War Two  while urging “future-oriented” two-way ties.
Under the 2015 deal between Japan and South Korea  reached by  Abe  and Moon’s predecessor  Japan apologized to former “comfort women” and provided a 1 billion yen ($9 million) fund to help them. But South Korea has said the agreement failed to meet victims’ needs  calling for more steps.
Abe  whose decision to attend the Games opening ceremony angered some of  his  conservative backers  has rejected those calls  saying the agreement will not be altered “by even one millimeter”.