Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, in an interview with the U.S. magazine Newsweek, repeated his apology for Japan forcing foreign women into wartime sexual servitude, according to a government official.

Shinzo Abe AP PHOTO

"As Japan's prime minister, I am extremely sorry that they were made to endure such pain. We feel responsible over the situation in which the women had to exist as 'comfort women' and endure such hardship," Abe told Newsweek ahead of his trip to the U.S. starting Thursday, his first since taking power in September.

"We must always be humble (in dealing with) our history and constantly give profound thought on our responsibility," he said, reiterating his government's position to stand by a 1993 statement by then Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono that acknowledged and apologized for the military's involvement in coercing the women into sexual slavery.

Abe's U.S. trip comes amid rising global attention to the issue as the U.S. Congress debates a resolution demanding that Japan apologize to the women. Abe drew flak, especially from foreign media, when he said recently there are no documents to prove the Japanese military physically coerced women to provide sex for its soldiers during World War II, citing a government position paper.

In another interview with the Wall Street Journal, Abe stressed there is a need for Japan to secure a solid defense capability and strengthen the Japan-U.S. bilateral alliance in light of China's growing military power.

Abe, in both interviews conducted Tuesday in Tokyo, underscored the importance of strengthening the "unwavering" Japan-U.S. bilateral alliance as extremely valuable for not only security in East Asia but the world as a whole.

He stressed his idea of promoting research on exercising the right of collective defense, which is banned in line with the government's interpretation of the pacifist Constitution, the official said.

Abe said the changing security environment for Japan and the world calls on Japan to contribute to global challenges.