An elderly South Korean victim of Japan's wartime sexual slavery held a protest rally in front of Japan's Embassy in Washington on Wednesday, demanding Tokyo apologize and compensate her for her suffering.

The 89-year-old victim, Kil Won-ok, attended the rally together with activists supporting her. It mirrored the 1,221st "Wednesday rally" that sexual slavery victims and activists have held in front of Japan's Embassy in Seoul weekly since 1992.

"It's difficult for human beings not to commit wrongdoing, but human beings should know to apologize as soon as they sense that they committed wrongdoing," she said, adding that she believes there will come a time when Japan will "kneel and apologize" for the atrocity.

A day earlier, Kil held a news conference to express her opposition to the landmark agreement that the governments of Seoul and Tokyo reached on resolving the issue, saying the two sides reached the deal without taking victims' opinions into consideration.

Seoul and Tokyo announced the agreement in late December that centers on Japan's admission of responsibility for the wartime crime and plans to pay reparations to the victims. South Korea promised to end the dispute once and for all if Japan fulfills its responsibilities.

Some civic groups, however, including one that has spoken for victims, have denounced the agreement as diplomatic collusion between the two countries, arguing that Japan should have offered a clearer apology and acknowledged its legal responsibility for the atrocity. (Yonhap)