Diplomats of South Korea and Japan held their first talks in three months on Thursday and discussed historical issues between the two nations.  

Seoul's Foreign Ministry said that its director-general for Asia and Pacific affairs Lee Sang-ryol held a meeting with his Japanese counterpart Takehiro Funakoshi in Tokyo and discussed pending concerns. 

The ministry said in their first meeting since June in Seoul, the two sides shared the need to stably manage the Korean Peninsula situation. They also reaffirmed the importance of cooperation between the two nations and among South Korea, the U.S. and Japan. 

Regarding the issues of Japan's wartime forced labor and sexual slavery, Lee explained Seoul's position and stressed the need to accelerate bilateral consultation through various high-level exchanges.

As the Japanese official reportedly mentioned Japan's claims to South Korea's Dokdo islets, Lee made it clear that Seoul cannot accept any such claims.

The two sides, however, agreed to continue close communication for the future-oriented development of relations between the two nations.