The foreign ministry pledged to continue listening to and communicating with South Korean victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery after a prominent survivor slammed the 2015 settlement between Seoul and Tokyo on compensation for the victims, calling it invalid.

Asked on Thursday how the government plans to persuade victim-turned-activist Lee Yong-soo, a ministry official said foreign minister Park Jin had emphasized that the spirit of the agreement is important.

During his visit to Tokyo earlier this week, Park paid a courtesy call to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, where he said Seoul respects the 2015 deal as a formal agreement and hopes to settle issues based on its spirit.

Lee issued a statement in response, arguing that the agreement is invalid and accusing the government of forcing the victims to accept what she said was a deceitful agreement.