Rodong Sinmun Monday urges this in a signed commentary.

It goes on: Growing in the international arena are voices denouncing the crimes related to "comfort women" for the imperial Japanese army. It is a historical responsibility and a legal and moral obligation of Japan to make honest admission and reparation for the monstrous crimes committed by the Japanese imperialists in the past.

The Japanese reactionaries, however, are becoming so adamant as to distort and justify the crimes perpetrated by the Japanese imperialists against humanity, far from settling their past crimes.

When the above-said crimes were disclosed, the Japanese right-wing forces feigned ignorance, blustering such crimes "never happened" and they were "fabrications." It was not until a string of evidence proving Japan's state involvement in the sexual slavery for the imperial Japanese army were discovered that the Japanese authorities had no excuse to deny the state responsibility for them. But they have not taken an honest approach towards the issue of reparation.

Japan is working hard to gloss over the above-said crimes without adequately redeeming its inglorious past, but their victims will never pardon it.

Japan is getting zealous in its moves to kick up a whirlwind of militarism in the society, while running the whole gamut of tricks to evade the responsibility to redeem its crime-woven past. This is touching off big caution among people.

It is beyond any doubt that Japan may follow in the footsteps of the militarists as it has persistently evaded its responsibility to make reparation for its past crimes.

Japan would be well advised to follow the practice shown by those countries which honestly settled their past crimes.