South Korea's top diplomat on Wednesday expressed deep regret over a Japanese warplane's low-altitude flight close to a South Korean warship earlier in the day. 

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha conveyed the position to Japan's Foreign Minister Taro Kono on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Kang said there are some problems in bilateral relations due to the South Korean top court's rulings on Japan's wartime forced labor and Japan's claim that a South Korean destroyer locked its fire-control radar on a Japanese patrol plane last month.

She brought up the latest incident after a Japanese military aircraft made a threatening, low-altitude flight toward a South Korean naval ship, noting it was the third incident of its kind and expressing concern and regret about the situation. 

The minister, however, said in a situation like this, she believes both sides still share a common ground to develop sustainable ties and think carefully about such issues.

In response, Kono said that it's a difficult situation, but it's still meaningful to have a face-to-face meeting and he hopes they can discuss current issues candidly.

Hours before their talks, Seoul's Defense Ministry condemned a Japanese warplane's low-altitude, close-range flight near its ship in international waters near Ieodo -- a submerged rock south of South Korea's southern island of Jeju -- as a "provocative act."