Japanese and South Korean nonpartisan groups of lawmakers for bilateral friendship Sunday agreed to boost their countries' cooperation to new heights in all areas including politics, economy, society and culture.
In a statement adopted at their joint plenary meeting in Seoul, the two groups also denounced North Korea's nuclear and missile development and called for close cooperation between the two governments for the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
The statement said there should be sincere dialogue between the two sides over pending issues, such as the one on wartime Korean laborers in Japan's Sado Island gold mines, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Participants in the joint meeting included Akihisa Nagashima, an executive of the Japanese group, and Joo Ho-young, head of the South Korean group.
"There are various issues between the two countries, but I hope our groups will be able to solve them one by one," Nagashima said after the meeting.
In a congratulatory message, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said that South Korea is an important neighboring country that Japan should cooperate with to deal with various problems the international community faces.
The importance of Japan-South Korea relations and Japan-South Korea-U.S. cooperation is increasing even further in the current strategic environment, she added.
The two groups held the meeting for the first time since the one in Tokyo in September 2023.
Last year, they arranged a joint meeting for December, but it was canceled due to the confusion caused by then President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of emergency martial law.
Next year's plenary meeting will be held in Tokyo.
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