Asia's Big Three Attempt to Normalize Relations.
LU STOUT: Coming to you live from Hong Kong, you're back watching News Stream. Now, the U.S. and South Korea have a message for Pyongyang, stop all nuclear activity immediately. Now the warning came as Washington and Seoul conducted a review of their joint defense against North Korea. Pyongyang has said it is preparing to launch a satellite into orbit and will conduct nuclear tests. There appears to be remarkable progress in relations among China, Japan and South Korea. Now, Tokyo and Seoul have agreed to resolve the issue of Comfort Women, those forced to work in in Japan's war time military brothels. And over the weekend, leaders from the three Asian powers, they met for the first time in three years. they say relations have been completely restore. For more, let's go straight to Paula Hancocks. She joins us live from Seoul, and Paula, let's talk more about Sunday's meeting. We have China, Japan, South Korea claiming to have, quote, completely restored relations. I mean, giving the ongoing tension over the South China Sea and World War II, how can that be right?</s>PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right, Kristie, there were no concrete actions that were enacted after this meeting. But the very fact the meeting took place is significant. As you say, it was the first time that these three leaders met in three years, so the fact that they did sit down and they did talk about these very thorny issues. There are still many historical issues and arguments to be ironed out. There are still those territorial disputes, nothing has changed there. But the fact that these three do appear to be willing to talk is what many experts are saying is a success. And the very fact that the leaders of Japan and South Korea managed to have a one-on-one summit, an official summit, the first since both of them took power is significant as well. So really it was the fact that they turned up to the meetings, the fact they talked, the fact that they came out saying they are willing to make changes. But the actual changes themselves we don't have details on that at this point.</s>LU STOUT: Gotcha. And meanwhile, North Korea. Now that we have the three main Asian powers, they've resumed talking and they've claimed progress and relations, what does that mean for any attempt, any joint attempt to address and reign in North Korea and its nuclear ambitions?</s>HANCOCKS: Well within it's vital to have China on board. China is really the only ally that North Korea has, maybe Russia as well. But in northeast Asia, China is the key. The fact that China as well is meeting with the leaders of Japan and South Korea before meeting with Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, is significant in itself. It shows where the allegiances lie with China. It's clear over recent years that they have not been happy with the way things are going in Pyongyang with the decisions that the young leader has made, most notably the most recent nuclear test which appear to take many of the Chinese leaders by surprise, as well as the rest of the world. So, I think the fact that China is on board in wanting to denuclearize North Korea is significant and the fact that they are willing to work with two other countries, its neighbors, which have not always been friends, South Korea and Japan, means that potentially they could put more pressure on North Korea. In that respect, something may change -- Kristie.</s>LU STOUT: All right, many diplomatic developments in East Asia today. Paula Hancocks reporting live from Seoul. Thank you. Now as we've mentioned, South Korea and Japan, they have agreed to accelerate talks to resolve the bitter controversy over so-called Comfort Women, mostly Korean women forced into prostitution in Japanese brothels during World War II. And Will Ripley has more on that.</s>WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Her body is weak, her memories are strong. Kim Bok-dong, nearly 90-years-old, says she's still haunted, haunted by nightmares from five years as a sex slave of the Japanese army.</s>KIM BOK-DONG, FORMER SEX SLAVE (through translator): I can't put into words the scars it left me with. It still keeps me awake at night.</s>RIPLEY: Kim says she was only 14 when the Japanese came to her Korean village, forcing her to leave her home, her family. So you thought you'd be working in a factory?</s>KIM (through translator): Yes. There was no option not to go.</s>RIPLEY: Instead of going to a sewing factory, Kim says she ended up in Japanese military brothels in half a dozen countries. She was told her job was to revitalize the soldiers.</s>KIM (through translator): it went on for such a long time. by the time the sun went down, I couldn't use my lower body at all.</s>RIPLEY: Kim says years of physical abuse took a permanent toll.</s>KIM (through translator): In my old age I couldn't have a single person who can call me mother, I couldn't never have a child.</s>RIPLEY: Her story matches testimony from other so-called Comfort Women. In Washington, this former Korean sex slave made a tearful plea to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, demanding an official apology. Critics say Abe has not been vocal enough. They fear his government is trying to whitewash the past to appease conservatives who feel Comfort Women were paid prostitutes, not victims of official military policy.</s>KOICHI NAKANO, PROFESSOR: They have gone through tremendous trauma. And in a way, Japanese government risks committing second rape by discrediting their testimonies and treating as if they were lies.</s>RIPLEY: Abe insists he and other prime ministers have made repeated apologies.</s>SHINZO ABE, JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER (through translator): I am deeply pained to think of the comfort women who experienced immeasurable pain and suffering.</s>RIPLEY: But since Abe first came to office, his government has succeed in removing references to Comfort Women from many Japanese school textbooks.</s>KIM (through translator): my only wish is to set the record straight about the past before I die.</s>RIPLEY: Will Ripley, CNN, Tokyo.</s>LU STOUT: And these women are still waiting for an apology. You're watching News Stream. And still to come on the program, Myanmar's election, it's a historic one, it's drawing near and some voters they've have waited a generation for the opportunity to cast their ballot. We've got a preview of the scene, next.