Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told South Korean President Park Geun-hye that bilateral ties, strained over historical and territorial issues, appear to be improving after their first one-on-one summit earlier this month, a Japanese official said.
As they exchanged pleasantries before the summit of the Group of 20 major economies in this Turkish resort on Sunday, Abe told Park that there has been a "good atmosphere" in Japan over bilateral relations since their talks in Seoul, the official said.
Park responded she was "glad" to hear that, according to Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroshige Seko.
Abe and Park met Nov. 2 for their first substantive one-on-one talks since Abe took office in late 2012 and Park in early 2013, as Tokyo-Seoul relations were seriously strained due to disputes over interpretations of history.
Abe also shook hands and exchanged greetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping before the G-20 summit, Seko said.