Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon has expressed hope that South Korea and Japan work to address historical issues while also seeking future-oriented relations.

During a government meeting Thursday to coordinate policies on pending issues, the prime minister called for wisdom so that the two sides can resolve historical liabilities and build a relationship that looks toward the future.

He said both countries should neither ignore history nor overlook preparing for the future by being bound by the past.

Lee said the South Korean government is trying to exercise maximum restraint, think prudently and make efforts. He also called for restraint and wisdom from the Japanese government for a desirable future in bilateral relations.

He said that in the past, there were critical views in Japan that South Korea was using its public's anti-Japanese sentiment for domestic political purposes.

He said that these days, some in South Korea believe that Japanese leaders are using their people's anti-Korean sentiment for domestic politics, adding that Japan's leaders should be aware of this view.