South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se has pledged his government will strive to improve ties with Japan, but added that Japan's failure to apologize for its wartime sex slavery and some other history disputes should be cleared first.
Speaking at a dinner meeting with reporters here Friday, Yun stressed the Shinzo Abe administration's attitude is of importance this year, the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties between Seoul and Tokyo.
"(We) are making a lot of efforts, with interest, to improve bilateral relations," he said during the meeting at his official residence. "There are some obstacles expected in the process."
Yun cited talks on the "comfort women" issue, Japan's UNESCO world heritage bid, and Abe's plan to deliver a speech in August to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.
South Korea hopes to complete talks on Japan's apology and reparations for the victims of the wartime sexual enslavement of Korean women by its troops.
Seoul is opposed to Tokyo's push for listing some of its industrial facilities, where Koreans worked as slave labor in the early 1900s, as world heritage sites. UNESCO's related committee plans to announce its decision on the matter in late June or early July.
"Another key point is the content of Prime Minister Abe's statement (in August)," the minister said, indicating that Seoul will consider the three issues in its future relations with Tokyo.
Yun also left the door open for the resumption of three-way summit talks among the leaders of South Korea, Japan and China.
"We are reviewing various ways for that," he said.
On North Korea, the minister called for the close monitoring of what's happening in the reclusive communist regime.
"North Korea is sending rather strong messages," he said, referring to its recent test-launch of a ballistic missile from a submarine and reported purge of its defense minister, Hyon Yong-chol.
He said the North Korea issue will be on agenda during South Korean President Park Geun-hye's summit with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington in mid-June.
"Consultations are expected on the North Korean nuclear program, security conditions, the possibility of its provocations, our defense posture and cooperation with the international community as well as the matter of bringing firm peace to the Korean Peninsula," he said.
Park and Obama are also expected to focus on ways to strengthen partnerships on global issues such as climate change, nonproliferation, cyber and health security, he added. (Yonhap)