Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha has emphasized the need for South Korea and Japan to continue cultural and personnel exchanges despite sensitive issues between the two neighboring countries. 

Kang made the remark during a meeting with a visiting Japanese delegation in Seoul on Monday. The group included leading members of a Japanese task force for cultural and people-to-people exchanges with South Korea. 

While highlighting productive activities by a similar task force in South Korea, the minister called on the two entities to reach productive conclusions via discussions on what joint measures the two countries will take to improve bilateral relations. 

Former Japanese Culture Minister Seiichi Kondo, who leads the Japanese delegation, also stressed the two countries need to continue exchanges in spite of occasional confrontations. 

The task forces were created to prepare for bilateral events to mark the anniversary of a joint declaration on the Japan-South Korea partnership.