Industry ministers from Korea, Japan hold talks in Tokyo

Korean Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun, left, shakes hands with his Japanese counterpart, Ken Saito, ahead of talks in Tokyo, April 22. Yonhap

Industry ministers from Korea and Japan held talks in Tokyo on Monday during which they agreed to promote cooperation among companies in the two nations, officials said Monday.

Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun met his Japanese counterpart, Ken Saito, marking the first such formal meeting in six years, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

During the meeting, the two ministers exchanged views on a broad range of topics, including industry, trade and energy, and discussed plans for future cooperation.

"Korea and Japan are emerging as mutually reliable partners," Ahn said in his opening remarks. "At this point, it is very important for Korea and Japan to seek close bilateral partnership and cooperation to overcome the global crisis."

President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida have been pushing to mend badly frayed ties following the Yoon administration's decision last year to compensate Korean victims of Japan's wartime forced labor without asking for contributions from the Japanese companies involved.

Korea and Japan also agreed to work closely to hold a trilateral ministerial summit including the United States as well, which is set to take place within the first half of this year. (Yonhap)