ⓒYONHAP News

The top diplomats of South Korea and Japan have agreed on the need for an early resolution of the issue of Korean victims of Tokyo's wartime forced labor.

According to Seoul's foreign ministry, foreign minister Park Jin and his Japanese counterpart, Yoshimasa Hayashi, held talks in Tokyo and shared the view that a prompt resolution of the issue is necessary.

The ministry said the top diplomats discussed issues of mutual concern and pending issues between the two nations.

It marks the first visit to Japan by South Korea's top diplomat for bilateral talks with the Japanese foreign minister in four years and seven months.

In the Monday meeting, minister Park said the Seoul government would make an effort to produce a desirable solution to the issue before the liquidation of Japanese firms' assets in South Korea.

In 2018, South Korea's Supreme Court ordered Japanese companies found guilty of exploiting forced labor during World War Two to compensate surviving Korean victims.

The companies, however, refused to pay and the victims are in the middle of a legal process seeking to liquidate the firms' assets in Korea, with the top court's ruling expected this fall.

Meanwhile, the top diplomats shared their assessments of the recent state of affairs on the Korean Peninsula and agreed to sternly deal with provocation by North Korea, while keeping the door for dialogue and diplomacy open.

Park then relayed President Yoon Suk Yeol’s desire for improved bilateral relations in a courtesy call to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo on Tuesday.

The meeting at the prime minister’s residence lasted for about 20 minutes.

Speaking to reporters at a Tokyo hotel after the meeting, Park relayed President Yoon's verbal message that he passed on to the Japanese leader.

Yoon said that as he crossed paths with Kishida several times during the NATO summit in Spain, he became certain that the prime minister was a leader who could be trusted and with whom he could work to enhance favorable, cooperative relations.

Park said Yoon also expected that the foreign minister's trip to Japan would accelerate the restoration of ties between the two countries and expressed his hope to work in close cooperation with Kishida.

He also extended condolences on the death of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on behalf of the Seoul government and the Korean people.

Park said that Kishida listened to Yoon's message with sincerity, with the prime minister saying that he had a good talk with President Yoon in Spain and hopes such dialogue can continue.

Park said that he proposed the two leaders meet again at a convenient time but that no summit schedule has been set. He explained that summit talks will naturally take place when the two sides reach a consensus on the path forward for various pending issues.

A day later, Park told reporters that he believes Japan is willing to respond sincerely to South Korea's efforts to resolve the issue of compensation for wartime forced labor.

In a meeting with correspondents from the Korean press held at a Tokyo hotel on Wednesday morning, Park said that during this visit, he gained the impression that Japan was willing to engage with Seoul on the issue.

He said the trip confirmed the desire by both governments to improve bilateral relations, adding his belief that Japan would have confirmed the Yoon Suk Yeol administration's strong will to do so.

Park said the resumption of formal foreign ministers' talks after four years and seven months can be seen as a sincere response from Tokyo, and it signals the beginning of changes to come.

The top diplomat said he informed Japan that a joint government-civilian consultation body formed to address the forced labor issue in South Korea was gathering opinions from victims and experts.

Park expressed the hope to meet his Japanese counterpart again during a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN) slated for next month in Cambodia.