NHK reported on a news conference this morning by Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga, during which he stated that the recent installation of a statue symbolizing the comfort women in front of the Japanese Consulate in Busan is extremely regrettable and that the GOJ will call on the ROK government and relevant groups to swiftly remove it. Suga said that the installation of the statue is very regrettable because the two nations agreed in 2015 to resolve the comfort women issue “finally and irreversibly.” The government spokesman added that the statue issue is having a negative impact on the bilateral relations and violates the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.