South Korea, China protest Japan's 'comfort women' apology review

South Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Cho Tae-Yong (R) meets with Japanese Ambassador to South Korea, Koro Bessho (L) at the foreign ministry in Seoul April 4, 2014. REUTERS/Jung Yeon-je/Pool

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea and China on Monday protested against Tokyo's review of a landmark 1993 apology to women, many of them Korean and Chinese, forced to work as wartime sex slaves in Japanese brothels, urging it to stop trying to whitewash history.

South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yong summoned Japanese Ambassador Bessho Koro to complain, saying Tokyo was trying to undermine its own apology when the history behind the issue of "comfort women" was recognised internationally.