TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plans to attend the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Olympics next month.
Speaking to reporters in Tokyo on Wednesday, Abe said he would go to the Feb. 9 ceremony and expressed hope to hold a summit meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
There was speculation Abe might not attend over disagreement on a 2015 deal on the so-called comfort woman issue between Japan and South Korea.
In the 2015 deal, Japan and South Korea agreed that Tokyo would pay $9 million to support the surviving South Korean victims, and both sides pledged to avoid actions that would antagonize the other.
The South Korean government earlier this month concluded that the 2015 deal was flawed, and that not enough efforts were made to reach out to the comfort women before negotiating the settlement.
Abe's decision to attend came on the same day Japan held a sendoff ceremony for its delegation of 153 athletes and officials who will take part in the Pyeongchang Games.
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