Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is believed to have rejected a request from Japanese Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Shinjiro Koizumi to lift Seoul’s restrictions on Japanese seafood imports.

According to Japan’s Kyodo News, Koizumi made the request during a meeting with Cho in Seoul on Monday. 

The restrictions, imposed after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, remain in place for products from Fukushima and seven nearby prefectures.

A South Korean foreign ministry official, while declining to confirm details, said any easing of the ban would require restoring South Korean consumers’ trust in the safety of Japanese seafood.

The meeting comes ahead of a possible summit later this month between President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, where the issue could be on the agenda.

The ministry said the two ministers also discussed economic cooperation and agreed on the need for more active communication as the countries mark 60 years since normalizing diplomatic ties.

Koizumi, considered a leading contender to become Japan’s next prime minister, was in Seoul for the APEC Food Security Ministerial Meeting and separate talks with his South Korean and Chinese counterparts.