Outgoing Japanese PM promises warmer ties with South Korea

SEOUL: Japan´s outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met South Korean leader Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday for a final round of talks, hoping to cement improving ties before he leaves office.

The two nations, both key security allies of the United States, have long been at odds over historical issues linked to Japan´s brutal occupation of the Korean peninsula from 1910 to 1945, including sexual slavery and forced labour.

However, Yoon has moved to bury the hatchet in recent years, restarting regular talks with Kishida and ramping up military cooperation in the face of rising threats from nuclear-armed North Korea.

“Based on the solid trust between our two countries, the relationship between Korea and Japan has improved significantly over the past year-and-a-half,” Yoon said during talks. “There are still difficult issues in the Korea-Japan relationship. I look forward to working together in a forward-looking manner so that our steps toward a brighter future can continue,” he said.