National security adviser Wi Sung-lac has met with a special adviser to Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to discuss ways to advance relations between the two nations. 

Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said Monday in a press briefing that Wi had breakfast with Akihisa Nagashima, who is visiting South Korea to attend an event hosted by the Japanese Embassy in Seoul to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties.

Kang said the two sides discussed ways to further develop bilateral relations and agreed to maintain close communication going forward.

When asked about the possibility of a bilateral summit on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in Canada, a senior official from the presidential office told reporters on Sunday that coordination is underway.

The official said that during their recent phone call, the leaders of both countries agreed on the need to build a good relationship as this year marks the 60th anniversary of normalized ties and the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule.