Anchor: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Wednesday that he plans to attend the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games if circumstances allow. Abe also reaffirmed his plans to reject any attempts by Seoul to undermine a 2015 bilateral accord on Japan’s wartime sexual slavery.   
Our Park Jong-hong has this report.

Report: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says he will attend the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games and support Japanese athletes if circumstances allow. 

Abe made the remark when he met with reporters at his official residence on Wednesday. 

He also expressed his hope to hold a summit with President Moon Jae-in and personally convey Japan's stance on a 2015 bilateral deal on the issue of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery. 

Japan believes that the wartime issue has been finally and irreversibly resolved with the bilateral accord.

As a result, if a summit takes place, Abe is likely to tell Moon that Japan cannot accept Seoul’s requests for Japan to take additional steps regarding the 2015 settlement, including an official apology.

Abe said that he would also like to make it clear to President Moon that efforts to maximize pressure on North Korea should be maintained and not be undermined. 

Abe's remarks come as an official of the presidential office in Seoul told reporters earlier on Wednesday that Japan has officially requested consultations with South Korea to discuss Abe’s attendance at the PyeongChang Olympics.

The request follows weeks of speculation that the Japanese leader may boycott the PyeongChang Olympics in protest against Seoul’s attempt to undermine the 2015 agreement. 

Under the deal, Seoul's former conservative government had agreed to end the decades-old dispute in exchange for one billion yen along with Japan's sincere apology to thousands of Korean victims.

The current Moon Jae-in administration has declared the deal flawed but added it will not seek to renegotiate the terms of the agreement. 
Park Jong-hong KBS World Radio News