TOKYO (AP) Japan's foreign minister and a senior South Korean official met and agreed Thursday on the need for more work on improving relations strained by a territorial dispute and lingering historical antagonisms.
Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kyou-hyun met in Tokyoand said they agreed to continue dialogue on resolving the difficult issues between them.
Speaking after their meeting, Kishida described South Korea as an "important partner and neighbor."
"We hope they will make efforts in approaching the issue by taking the long and broad view in resolving the difficult problems that we have had for some time" Kim said of his Japanese hosts.
Tokyo's ties with South Korea and China have been strained by conflicting claims to islands in north Asia and by the legacy of Japan's occupation before and during World War II.
Japan and South Korea are united, however, in their concern over the potential threat from North Korea and their military alliances with the United States.
