Seoul, Sep 6 (IANS): South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday agreed to maintain the "positive momentum" from improved bilateral ties by overcoming lingering historical issues regardless of leadership change in Japan.
In their summit in Seoul, Yoon and Kishida committed to strengthening coordination between the two nations as well as with the US in response to growing security threats from North Korea, particularly in light of its increasing military ties with Russia, Yonhap news agency reported.
"It is important to maintain the positive momentum of bilateral cooperation that Prime Minister Kishida and I have built to advance bilateral cooperation, as well as cooperation between Korea, the US and Japan," Yoon said in his opening remarks.
Yoon said the two countries should take a "forward-looking attitude" to address challenging issues, amid lingering historical disputes.
"If we combine our efforts, we can create a turning point next year, marking the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations, and elevate Korea-Japan relations to a new level," Yoon said.
It was their 12th and last summit as Kishida has given up on reelection as prime minister and leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party after three years on the job.
Kishida underscored the importance of maintaining close coordination and called for efforts to further advance the bilateral ties, reiterating his government upholds the positions of previous administrations, including the 1998 Korea-Japan Joint Declaration.
The declaration, adopted by former President Kim Dae-jung and former Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi, includes expressions of remorse for the historical suffering caused by Japan's colonial rule.
"I expressed my heartfelt sorrow for the immense hardships and sorrow so many people endured in the difficult circumstances of the past," Kishida said, without going into detail.
Kishida also expressed his support for Yoon's new unification doctrine that pursues peaceful unification with North Korea based on liberal values.
"At the Camp David summit last year, we expressed our support for the free and peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula," he said, referring to the trilateral summit with US President Joe Biden. "I understand that President Yoon's doctrine also reflects interest in this goal."