South Korea's President has decided to uphold the existing agreement concerning "comfort women," against the backdrop of historical disputes with Japan. The decision, significant in the context of Japan-South Korea relations, indicates the president's preference to maintain diplomatic protocols with Japan and deal with this historical issue in a constructive manner, rather than revisiting past resolutions.

The "comfort women" issue has been a poignant historic dispute between Japan and South Korea dating back to World War II. It stirs national and historical sentiment among the Japanese public. Whether the agreement would be maintained or refuted impacts Japan's relations with South Korea and the perception of Japan's reconciliation efforts over wartime history.

Historical disputes, when compared to the US or EU, often have profound impacts on bilateral relations in Asia due to the region’s strong sentiment towards historic events. In contrast, US and EU countries, while certainly not devoid of historical controversies, have established mechanisms like the European Court of Human Rights to address such issues, which can lead to more structured and less emotionally-loaded discussions.