Prime Minister Han Seung-soo disagreed with a lawmaker who insisted the government must revise the treaty with Japan that normalized bilateral ties in 1965.

At the National Assembly Monday, Democratic Party lawmaker Kang Chang-Il called for the revision and asked for the prime minister’s view on the issue.

Han pointed out that the treaty has been the basis of bilateral relations between the two countries for over four decades.

Han went on to say, in consideration of the treaty’s legal stability and international recognition, it would be inappropriate to revise or scrap it, especially when the public is enraged over Japan's renewed claim over the Dokdo islets.

On the killing of a South Korean tourist at a North Korean resort, the prime minister said such a shooting at civilian tourists must never happen again. He added that, without the North’s guarantee for the safety of South Korean tourists, it would be very difficult to resume the Geumgang tours.