A group of South Korean lawmakers has voiced dissatisfaction over a statement issued by Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan last week, in which he apologised specifically to their country for Japan’s past colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.

“We are disappointed, as it was not enough for South Korean people who had longed for an apology for 100 years,” said former South Korean Farm minister Kim Young Jin addressing a meeting of a group of Japanese lawmakers held in the Japanese Diet building Thursday.

The statement was issued ahead of the 29^th August centenary of Japan’s annexation of the peninsula.

The South Korean lawmakers also made it clear that Japanshould provide some form of compensation to South Korean women who were forced to serve as sex slaves for Japanese soldiers before and during World War II, the Japanese lawmakers said.

The meeting was attended by 14 Japanese Diet members and eight South Korean lawmakers, both from the ruling and opposition parties. Japan’s Social Democratic Party leader Mizuho Fukushima sought South Korean lawmakers’ understanding, as she was quoted as telling them, “Though it was not enough, we’d like to highly value the fact that such a statement was issued.”

Azuma Konno, an upper house member from the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, said, “I think (the statement) deserves a little more compliment.”

The South Korean lawmakers also submitted a written request to the Japanese government, calling on the nation to provide substantive compensation for illegal and forcible acts on them in the past and to eliminate discrimination against the community in Japan.