Former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga will become the next head of a cross-party group of lawmakers promoting friendly ties between Japan and South Korea, the group has decided.
The appointment of a former prime minister Friday is aimed at facilitating lawmaker-level exchanges at a time when Tokyo and Seoul are stepping up efforts to resolve disputes over forced labor by Koreans that have strained ties. Suga will replace former Finance Minister Fukushiro Nukaga.
"South Korea is an extremely important neighbor in economic and security terms," Suga said in a meeting of the group in Tokyo, vowing to work to "improve friendly relations between both countries."