Trump Defends Japan on 'Comfort Women' Issue, Labels South Korea 'Obsessed' at 2025 US-ROK Summit
During the U.S.-ROK summit held on August 25, 2025, it was revealed that President Donald Trump addressed the "comfort women" issue, expressing his view that South Korea was "obsessed" with the problem and defending Japan's position. During the summit, Trump acknowledged the complexity of the comfort women issue, stating, "Over the decades, I thought it had been resolved several times, but there are multiple layers to the problem." He then pointed out, "It was a very big problem for South Korea, not for Japan." He further added, "Japan wants to move forward. But South Korea was very obsessed with that problem," indicating his view that Seoul's stance was an obstacle to improving Japan-South Korea relations. Trump also repeatedly offered favorable assessments of Japan, emphasizing, "The Japanese are wonderful people, and I think Japan is an excellent country." He also praised the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, c...