of human rights,... ruffling feathers in the Japanese media.

Park Ji-won tells us more. "It was a terrible, egregious violation of

human rights. I think Prime Minister Abe recognizes the past is something that has to be recognized

honestly."

It is the first time that a U.S. President has officially and directly criticized Japan's

wartime program of sex slavery. The remarks, made during a press conference

in Korea on Friday, sent a shockwave through Japan.

In response,... Japan's Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said the issue is

not a diplomatic matter. In a television interview,... he said Japan

is trying not to politicize the sensitive issue.

While the government tried to minimize the effect of the remarks,... Japanese media outlets

offered their own analysis. Kyodo News Agency and Yomiuri newspaper said...

Obama made the remarks to improve bilateral relations between Japan and Korea,... the

United States' two main allies in Northeast Asia.

The Asahi Shimbun said that, with Obama's remarks, Korea could now put more pressure

on Tokyo to address the sex slave issue. Some point out,... Obama's direct criticism

of Japan's wartime sex slavery program were the result of Obama's displeasure with Japanese

Prime Minister Abe during a joint press conference held in Japan... right after the summit between

the two. During the briefing, Prime Minister Abe justified

his controversial visit to the Yasukuni Shrine,... which enshrines the war dead, including 14

convicted war criminals, by saying he will endeavor to gain an understanding of his respect

for the shrine. Hundreds of thousands women,... mostly Koreans,...

were forced into sexual slavery at Japanese wartime military brothels during World War

II. Park Ji-won, Arirang News.