Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on Monday told South Korean President Kim Dae Jung that he supports his demand that North Korea apologize for starting the recent maritime shootout near their border in the Yellow Sea.
During a meeting at the Prime Minister's Official Residence in Tokyo, Koizumi and Kim agreed to calmly deal with the North-South skirmish, a Japanese official said.
They also agreed to strengthen bilateral ties following the successful cohosting of the World Cup, the Foreign Ministry official said.