Japan's top government spokesman said on Thursday that Japan would continue to uphold a 1993 statement that acknowledged and apologized for the sufferings of wartime sex slaves, in order to dismiss controversial comments made by his deputy on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Hakubun Shimomura said in a speech that it was necessary to review the 1993 statement by further investigating the facts after collecting objective and scientific evidence.

"I have been told (Shimomura) spoke in his private capacity. The government's position in honoring the 1993 Kono statement remains unchanged," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki told a press conference on Thursday.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said in parliament that he honored the statement by then Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono over the issue of wartime sex slaves, or "comfort women".

In 1993, the then Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono officially acknowledged and apologized for the fact that Japan forced women from other Asian countries to be sex slaves for its soldiers during World War II.

Source: Xinhua