Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul said South Korea and Japan have agreed on an unwavering development of bilateral relations under any situation.

At a joint press conference in Seoul Monday following talks with his Japanese counterpart Takeshi Iwaya, Cho said the country's foreign policy direction is being maintained without any changes.

The two sides are thought to have reaffirmed such agreement amid uncertainties arising from the impeachment crisis in South Korea and next week's inauguration of the Donald Trump administration for its second term in the United States.

When asked about addressing colonial-era disputes in developing ties, Cho said he and his counterpart intend to closely cooperate in developing future-oriented relations, as they seek to narrow historical differences.

Cho said the two sides agreed to sincerely and honestly consult on holding memorial events in the future for the victims of Japan's wartime forced labor at the UNESCO-listed Sado mines, including Koreans, that serve to console the victims and pass down the historical significance to the future generation. 

The ministers also expressed deep concerns over North Korea's nuclear and missile provocations and illegal military cooperation with Russia, including troop deployment in support of Russia's military offensive in Ukraine and called for an immediate halt to such activities.