President Yoon Suk Yeol has reportedly instructed each ministry to seek out cooperative projects in various areas and push them forward to ensure future-oriented bilateral relations with Japan. 

Presidential spokesperson Lee Do-woon said that the president issued the order on Monday during a weekly meeting with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo at the top office.

In response, the prime minister reportedly said the government will work to discover and materialize exchange and cooperation projects in various sectors to develop South Korea-Japan relations.

Yoon issued the order ahead of his two-day trip to Japan later this week for a summit with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.  

The spokesperson said that national security advisor Kim Sung-han will hold a briefing on Tuesday on the upcoming summit. 

Regarding media reports that Seoul and Tokyo effectively reached an agreement that Japanese firms responsible for Japan's wartime forced labor will participate in a youth fund to compensate Korean victims, an official at the top office said that consultation is under way in that direction.