Arrangements are underway for former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori to hold talks with South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Monday in Seoul in an effort to materialize a summit between the two countries amid strained bilateral relations, sources close to the matter in the two countries said Thursday.

A group of senior political and economic officials from the two countries is also expected to attend the meeting to lay the groundwork for realizing a summit meeting between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Park, they said.

They have yet to hold formal one-on-one summit talks since the two leaders took office — Abe in 2012 and Park in 2013.

Mori is scheduled to arrive in South Korea on Sunday to attend the second meeting of the bilateral consultative group after its first gathering in late March in Tokyo, where participants agreed to work on realizing a summit of the two countries.

In Seoul, participants are expected to discuss the issue of "comfort women" who were forced to work in wartime Japanese military brothels and other historical matters to compile proposals for their leaders.

From South Korea, former Prime Minister Lee Hong-koo and former Foreign Minister Gong Ro-myung are expected to attend the meeting.

Japanese participants are expected to include former Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura, who serves as chairman of the Japan-South Korea friendship association, and Yuzaburo Mogi, Japanese chair of the Japan-Korea forum and honorary CEO and board chairman of soy sauce maker Kikkoman Corp.