Foreign ministers of South Korea, Japan to discuss issue of wartime Korean sex slaves

South Korean President Park Geun-hye, right, escorts Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe before their meeting at the presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea on Monday, Nov. 2, 2015. (Lee Jung-hun / Yonhap)

SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of - The foreign ministers of South Korea and Japan are set to meet for talks on how to resolve the thorny issue of Korean women forced into Japanese military-run brothels during World War II.

The issue of former Korean sex slaves, euphemistically known as "comfort women," is the biggest source of friction in ties between Seoul and Tokyo. Bilateral ties suffered further setbacks after the late 2012 inauguration of hawkish Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Last month, the leaders of the countries resumed formal talks after a 3 1/2-year hiatus and agreed to try to resolve the sex slave issue.

There have since been positive developments, such as a Seoul court's acquittal of a Japanese reporter charged with defaming South Korea's president.

Japan colonized the Korean Peninsula from 1910-1945.