Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi on Saturday called for an "appropriate response" from Seoul to resolve bilateral disputes over wartime compensation and the issue of "comfort women" in his first contact with his South Korean counterpart, the Foreign Ministry said Sunday.
Hayashi agreed with South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong on the need to speed up diplomatic dialogue to restore "healthy" bilateral ties when they briefly chatted on Saturday at an informal dinner party of a Group of Seven foreign ministerial meeting in Liverpool, England, the ministry said.
Chung approached Hayashi and initiated the chat. While standing, Hayashi explained Japan's consistent position on the issues, and Chung responded to the call for an "appropriate response" based on South Korea's stance, the ministry said, without providing further details.
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