PM to meet Abe on Thursday

South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon plans to meet Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday as part of efforts to improve the frosty relations between Seoul and Tokyo, his office said.

Lee will visit Japan from Tuesday to Thursday to attend the Japanese emperor's enthronement event amid frayed ties between South Korea and Japan over the issue of Tokyo's wartime forced labor.

Consultations are under way to set the details of the meeting, but it is likely to take place on Thursday for about 10-20 minutes, an official at Lee's office said Friday.

Relations between Seoul and Tokyo have fallen to one of their lowest points over Japan's retaliatory trade restrictions against South Korea.

Since July, Japan has imposed export curbs against its neighbor in apparent retaliation for the South Korean top court's 2018 rulings that Japanese firms should compensate Korean victims of Tokyo's wartime forced labor.

Lee will attend Emperor Naruhito's enthronement ceremony and palace banquet set for Tuesday.

On Wednesday, he will attend an official dinner to be hosted by Abe and his wife. (Yonhap)