Tokyo Gov. Yoichi Masuzoe has briefed Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga about his meeting with South Korean President Park Geun-hye last Friday.
Suga said that Masuzoe told him he sensed a willingness by Park to improve relations with Japan.
Masuzoe told reporters he will relay what he discussed with Park to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe after he returns from his Latin American tour next Monday.
“It is important to promote cultural and economic exchanges between local municipalities,” Suga said during a news conference Monday, referring to Masuzoe’s visit to South Korea.
Japan and South Korea share common values, Suga said, and a bilateral summit needs to be held because there are pending issues between the two countries.
“The door is always open for dialogue,” he added.
Japan-South Korea ties have been strained due to the Takeshima territorial dispute and historical issues, including on so-called comfort women who were forced into prostitution for Japanese troops before and during World War II.
Masuzoe visited South Korea for three days last week at the invitation of Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, becoming the first Tokyo governor to make an official trip to the country in 18 years.
Abe and President Park have yet to hold a bilateral meeting since taking office more than a year ago. However, they met in March at a trilateral summit with U.S. President Barack Obama in The Hague, the Netherlands.
@Red Mahura
Tokyo governor briefs administration on meeting with South Korean president | The Japan Times
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