Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said that the government will continue efforts to resolve rifts with Japan through dialogue and discussion.

Kang made the remarks to reporters Thursday, noting Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon's visit this week to Japan to attend the Japanese emperor's enthronement ceremony and meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The minister said that South Korea is making efforts through strategic communication to improve bilateral relations with neighbors such as China, Japan and Russia and to establish peace on the Korean Peninsula. 

She said that efforts will continue to resolve trade disputes between Seoul and Tokyo through dialogue, including the latter’s imposition of export restrictions in July.

Regarding North Korea issues, Kang said that Seoul continues to work to create momentum for talks between Seoul, Pyongyang and Washington based on trust and a will to communicate.

The minister pointed to as manifestations of that effort the June 30 inter-Korean border meeting between the leaders of the U.S. and North Korea as well as working-level talks between the two sides earlier this month.