WASHINGTON -- Visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said here on Thursday that he feels "deeply sorry" for the so-called "comfort women" who were forced to serve as sex slaves for Japanese forces during World War II.

"As a person and as prime minister, I feel sympathy from the bottom of my heart to former comfort women, who experienced hardships," Abe, who arrived for talks with President George W. Bush, told some members of the U.S. Congress.

"I feel deeply sorry that they were forced to be placed in such extremely painful situations," Abe said.