South Korea's sports minister indicated Friday that President Moon Jae-in may visit Japan to attend the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics later this month, expressing hope for a meeting between the leaders of the two countries on the occasion.
Hwang Hee, minister of culture, sports and tourism, told foreign media outlets in Seoul that it would be meaningful even if Moon and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga "just met." Hwang said his Japan visit has already been scheduled.
Bilateral ties have sunk to the lowest level in decades, largely over issues arising from Japan's colonization of the Korean Peninsula between 1910 and 1945. Japanese and South Korean leaders have not held summit talks since late 2019.