ⓒYONHAP News

South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon sat down with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo on Thursday.

During the meeting that lasted just over 20 minutes, the two agreed that their governments shouldn't neglect their strained relationship any longer.

After the closed-door talks, Seoul's Vice Foreign Minister Cho Sei-young held a news conference, noting the two sides found a starting point to improve ties.

"The two prime ministers agreed that, as important neighbors to one another, the two sides cannot neglect difficulties in South Korea-Japan relations. They also agreed that collaboration between South Korea and Japan and between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan is important in dealing with North Korea."

Bilateral ties went sour over a South Korean Supreme Court decision last year, which ordered Japanese companies to pay reparations to the victims of wartime forced labor. Subsequent trade restrictions placed by Japan on South Korea are widely believed to be retaliation for the court decision.

During the talks, Abe reiterated that the matter was settled in a 1965 bilateral accord, under which South Korea received compensation for Japan's colonial occupation.

"Prime Minister Abe reiterated his previous position that promises between countries must be respected while calling for continued dialogue between diplomatic authorities to resolve the problem. Prime Minister Lee said in response that South Korea, as Japan did, has also respected and observed the 1965 Treaty on Basic Relations between South Korea and Japan, and it will continue to do so, and added that he believed the two sides will be able to pool their wisdom to overcome difficulties as they did previously." 

Despite lingering difference, South Korean officials identified the prime ministerial meeting as a turning point in the Seoul-Tokyo impasse.

During the meeting, Lee delivered a personal letter from South Korean President Moon Jae-in calling on the two sides to make joint efforts to swiftly mend ties.