Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed on the need to improve frayed bilateral ties during a meeting in Tokyo that broached the subject of Japan's wartime forced labor. 

In a briefing after Wednesday's talks, first vice foreign minister Cho Hyun-dong said they affirmed the consensus by Kishida and President Yoon Suk Yeol on the need to resolve pending issues and restore relations when they met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly last week.

The vice minister said that while Han and Kishida did not discuss detailed solutions to the forced labor issue, they agreed that the best resolution will be reached bilaterally and will therefore bolster communication between their diplomatic officials as well as via other channels.

Regarding North Korea's firing of a short-range ballistic missile on Sunday, the two sides agreed to strengthen security cooperation with the U.S. for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and beyond.

The prime ministers also noted the need to revitalize people-to-people exchanges following Tokyo's resumption of visa-free entries.

The talks between Han and Kishida, which lasted for about 25 minutes, followed the state funeral of late former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe the day before.