Former Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono is warning that Japan might lose the international community's trust if it continues to deny that Korean women were conscripted as sex slaves for Japanese soldiers during World War Two.

Kono made the remarks in an interview with Japanese daily the Yomiuri Shimbun on Monday. He explained that after reviewing U.S. and other foreign documents, the former Japanese government led by Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa carefully decided to announce an apology on August fourth, 1993 to the women who were forced into sexual slavery.

Known as the Kono Statement of 1993, it acknowledged and apologized for the forced recruitment of sex slaves by Japan's military during World War Two.

Kono went on to say that he felt sad for Japan’s denial of the wartime atrocity and expressed concerns that the international community would distrust Japan’s awareness about human rights.