Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi met Tuesday with new South Korean Ambassador to Japan Yun Duk Min for the first time, signaling Tokyo’s willingness to improve ties with Seoul that have frayed over wartime and territorial issues, according to Kyodo News Agency.
The meeting with Yun, who arrived in Japan last month following President Yoon Suk Yeol’s inauguration in May, contrasts with Japan’s dealings with Yun’s predecessor who did not meet with Japan’s foreign minister until almost the end of his 18-month posting.
“We met to make sure that we will work hard alongside each other for a better relationship,” Yun said after the meeting at the Foreign Ministry.
Japan and South Korea are likely to accelerate efforts to solve issues including preventing the liquidation of Japanese corporate assets in South Korea that plaintiffs in wartime forced labor lawsuits have seized.
