Japanese Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto has again expressed gratitude to South Korea for its aid to damages from the massive earthquake that devastated parts of eastern Japan.

Japanese ambassador to Korea Masatoshi Muto on Friday delivered the message from Matsumoto to South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan after meeting with Vice Foreign Minister Min Dong-seok.

In the message, Matsumoto expressed his thanks to South Korea for having dispatched an emergency relief team, donating large amounts of relief supplies, and expressing encouragement.

Matsumoto went on to say that Tokyo would, to prevent further damage at the Fukushima power plant, maintain maximum transparency and exchange information with Seoul. The message also said it hoped the two nations would cooperate even more closely in the future.

In response, Min expressed his sympathy for the Japanese people who suffered from the largest earthquake ever recorded. He added that the South Korean government and the public would help Japan as much as possible.