During his Tokyo visit in October 1998, South Korean President Kim Dae Jung and then Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi signed a joint declaration on the bilateral partnership for the 21st century. In the document, Obuchi expressed "keen remorse" and apologized for the historical fact that Japan, through its past colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula, "imposed great damage and pain" on the South Korean people.

The leaders also adopted an action plan for the Japan-South Korea partnership. The plan called for, among other things:

* Expanded government-level communication channels between the two countries;