South Korea and Japan clash after President Moon dismisses deal on wartime sex slaves

South Korea's president says the issue of 'comfort women' cannot be settled by 2015 compensation agreement .

A 'comfort woman' statue in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul, South Korea Source: Getty Image

Japan and South Korea are set on a diplomatic collision course after South Korea's president, Moon Jae-in, dismissed as unworkable a 2015 agreement on Japan's wartime use of sex slaves.

Moon said in a statement on Thursday the agreement was "seriously flawed" and "cannot solve" the countries' longstanding dispute over the "comfort women" - a euphemism for tens of thousands of women and girls, mostly from the Korean peninsula, who were coerced into working in Japanese military brothels before and during the second world war.

More details from Korean political commentator Jung-sik Seo.