Top Govt. Spokesperson: Japan Will Continue Close Communication With S.korea
Japan's top government spokesperson says the country will continue close communication with South Korea to resolve pending bilateral issues, including wartime labor.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno Hirokazu was commenting on Monday on the previous day's meeting between the two countries' leaders in Cambodia. It was the first official bilateral summit in about three years.
Japan's Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol agreed in the talks to seek an early solution to the wartime labor issue.
Matsuno said the leaders reconfirmed their intention based on the fact that negotiations between diplomatic authorities of the two sides are accelerating.
He said the government will continue close talks with Seoul based on Japan's consistent position.
The issue revolves around compensation claims by South Koreans who say they or their relatives were forced to work for Japanese companies during World War Two. The Japanese government maintains the right to claim compensation was settled by a 1965 agreement.
Matsuno also said Japanese officials are making final adjustments for Kishida to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping during their visits to Southeast Asia.
Matsuno reiterated the government's intention to seek to build constructive and stable ties with China, asserting Japan's positions whenever necessary while cooperating with each other in facing their common challenges.