South Korea will seek to continue cooperation toward forging a forward-looking relationship with Japan, the presidential office said, in light of the new Cabinet set to launch next week. 

President Moon Jae-in’s office relayed the single-line statement to reporters on Wednesday, following news that Fumio Kishida had won the ruling party's leadership race and is poised to become Japan's next premier. 

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry also said in a statement that it will continue to cooperate with the new Japanese government under Kishida’s leadership, to develop the bilateral relations “in a future-oriented manner.”

Fumio Kishida, freshly elected as the next leader of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), is considered a moderate in the conservative ruling party. 

He served as foreign minister for four years and eight months under former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, during which time he struck an agreement with his South Korean counterpart to once and for all settle the wartime sex slavery issue in 2015.