Former Korean sex slaves have boycotted a meeting with Japan's Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto.

The head of the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan said in a statement in front of Osaka City Hall Friday that Kim Bok-dong and Kil Won-oak refused to meet with Hashimoto, who claims wartime sex slaves were not forced into sexual service.

The council quoted the two former sex slaves as saying they didn't want to play supporting roles in the Osaka mayor’s political show to deliver an empty apology.

Some 100 members from the council and a Japanese civic organization staged a protest and demanded that Hashimoto withdraw his inflammatory remarks, issue an apology and resign as mayor. The two former sex slaves did not participate in the rally.

Kim and Kil had originally planned to meet with Hashimoto at Osaka City Hall on Friday morning.