Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has reaffirmed that the Japanese government inherits the historical perceptions of past governments, saying that there will be no change in the position.

Kishida made the remarks on Sunday in a joint press conference after summit talks with President Yoon Suk Yeol at the presidential office in Seoul.

Kishida said that he feels heartbroken that many people who had to work in difficult conditions had a difficult and sad experience, in an apparent reference to Korean victims of Japan's wartime forced labor.

He said that although there are numerous historical issues between South Korea and Japan, he believes that it is his duty as the Japanese prime minister to cooperate with President Yoon and South Korea for the future.

The prime minister also said that he is well aware of South Koreans' concerns about Japan's plan to discharge wastewater from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea, adding that Yoon and he agreed to an inspection of the plant by a South Korean experts' group to address the concerns.

In addition, Kishida said that Yoon and he agreed to jointly visit a monument for Korean atomic bomb victims when Yoon visits Hiroshima to attend the Group of Seven summit this month.