President Yoon Suk Yeol says he believes South Korea and Japan can create a new future that exceeds even the best period of bilateral ties if they build trust and engage in exchanges and cooperation.

Yoon made the remark on Friday when he met with delegations from the Korea-Japan Friendship Association and the Japan-Korea Friendship Association at the presidential office in Seoul.

According to Yoon’s spokesperson, Lee Do-woon, the president said the improvement and advancement in Seoul-Tokyo ties demonstrate that the citizens of both countries support such developments, citing a rapid recovery in people-to-people exchanges.

Yoon also expressed satisfaction over the revitalization of exchanges between the two countries’ provincial areas and asked the two friendship associations to continue to exert efforts to promote the interactions.

The president conveyed congratulatory words to the two associations for holding a joint meeting in Seoul for the first time in five years to mark the 25th anniversary of the Kim Dae-jung-Obuchi Declaration on building a future-oriented relationship based on reconciliation.