By Yi Whan-woo



The diplomatic row between Korea and Japan over "comfort women" may deepen in the years to come because no presidential candidate here respects a bilateral agreement signed in December 2015.



All five major presidential nominees ― Moon Jae-in, Ahn Cheol-soo, Hong Joon-pyo, Yoo Seong-min and Sim Sang-jung ― are pledging to either renegotiate or scrap the deal.



Their diplomatic principles are contrary to Japan's plan to ensure that the next Korean government will carry out the deal as promised by the outgoing conservative administration.



Analysts said Wednesday failing to narrow the gap may take Seoul-Tokyo relations to their lowest level. They said bilateral ties may become worse than before December 2015 when the two countries made the controversial agreement.



"At least one side may need to yield ground, and it is very unlikely to happen," said Kim Hyun-wook, a professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy.



Shin Yul, a politics science professor at Myongji University echoed a view, saying "Korea must get ready for the worst."



He pointed out that even the two conservative candidates ― South Gyeongsang Gov. Hong of the Liberty Party of Korea (LDP) and Rep. Yoo of the Bareun Party ― are with their liberal rivals in protesting the December 2015 deal.



Hong said it would be "right to scrap the deal," adding, "It is a betrayal of the spirit of the country."



Yoo vowed to break the agreement "one-sidedly," if Japan refused to comply with a call for renegotiation.



Justice Party Chairwoman Rep. Sim Sang-jung said "nullification of the agreement" was necessary and called for an investigation of it when the next government begins its term.



Presidential frontrunner Moon of the Democratic Party of Korea and Rep. Ahn of the People's Party both called for renegotiating the agreement.



But Japanese Ambassador to Seoul Yasumasa Nagamine made clear that this is not the case for Japan upon his return to Korea, Monday.



He temporarily left his post from Jan. 9 as part of Japan's retaliation against Korea for "violating" the deal after a statue of a girl symbolizing the "comfort women" was set up outside the Japanese Consulate in Busan.



Nagamine said he will "strongly ask" acting President and Prime Minsiter Hwang Kyo-ahn and other relevant Korean officials to implement the deal.



"Japan seems to want Hwang and other outgoing government officials to serve as its messenger to the next Korean government that its view of the agreement will remain unchanged," Shin said.



He assessed that the diplomatic row between Korea and Japan mainly stems from inconsistency in interpreting the agreement made verbally by Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida.



Tokyo argues that Seoul agreed to remove the "girl statues" outside its diplomatic missions in Korea in return for receiving 1 billion yen ($9 million) to help former Korean sex slaves.



Seoul does not deny its agreement on the government's role in making efforts concerning the statues set up by civic activists. But it claims it did not promise to do so in return for the money.



