Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and new South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun agreed Tuesday to continue working with the United States toward peacefully resolving North Korean nuclear issues, a Japanese official said.
In their first summit parley, which followed Roh's inauguration as president, the two leaders also decided to work on strengthening future-oriented bilateral ties based on recognition of their nations' "unfortunate shared past," the official said.
They agreed to advance economic and cultural ties, including the conclusion of a bilateral free-trade agreement.
The official, who declined to be named, said neither mentioned reports that North Korea launched a missile into the Sea of Japan the previous day, an event which intensified tensions on the Korean Peninsula.