South Korea's ruling and opposition parties showed mixed responses Monday to the outcome of summit talks between President Park Geun-hye and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
  

At the first summit between the leaders of the two neighbors in more than three years, Park and Abe agreed to speed up negotiations to resolve the issue of former South Korean sex slaves for Japan's World War II soldiers.
  

The ruling Saenuri Party noted it was meaningful that the two countries reached a progressive agreement to elevate relations to the next level.
  

"The Saenuri Party praises that the two countries reached the agreement to further improve relations through today's summit," the party's spokeswoman Shin Eui-jin said.
  

She further noted that the two leaders tried to achieve a resolution to the sex slavery issue that has blocked bilateral talks.
  

But the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy criticized the summit agreement, saying there was no new content or substantial achievement.
  

"It is very disappointing that no substantial outcome was reached in regards to the historical issue at the S. Korea-Japan summit," said Kim Young-rok, the party's spokesman.
  

He stressed that the two leaders only briefly mentioned the sex slavery issue, adding that Park had failed to keep her promise. (Yonhap)