PYONGYANG, March 23 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has once again urged Japan to make apologies and reparation for the crimes stemming from forcing innocent women to serve as sex slaves known as "comfort women" for its aggressor troops during World War II.

    The official Minju Joson newspaper said on Sunday in a signed commentary that the international community is becoming increasingly assertive that the Japanese government should apologize and compensate for the "comfort women".

    The commentary said the forced military prostitution by the Imperial Japanese Army was the worst human rights abuse.

    Several countries have sincerely apologized for their past crimes committed during the war, with only Japan resorting to a sleight of hand to get rid of its responsibility, far from admitting those crimes, it said.

    The Japanese government should settle the state-sponsored crimes in a responsible manner, it added.

    It is estimated more than 700,000 women mainly from Asia, including between 100,000 and 200,000 Korean women, were forced to serve as "comfort women" for Japanese soldiers in World War II.

    Surviving sex slaves have all along been demanding an apology and compensation from the Japanese government, but in most cases their demands are turned down.

    The Japanese government is yet to make an official apology for the war-time sexual slavery issue even though many countries including the United States have urged Tokyo to do so.