On Thursday, South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol arrived in Japan for talks with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, as Seoul continues to make efforts toward improving ties with Tokyo by resolving a major wartime row.
Yoon's two-day visit to Tokyo with his wife Kim Keon Hee comes after South Korea last week announced a proposal to settle a wartime labor dispute with Japan.
If Kishida and Yoon can make progress on the key issue at their meeting, they are expected to confirm the resumption of reciprocal visits by the leaders of the two Asian countries, a practice that has been suspended for 12 years, according to diplomatic sources.
The sources added that in the face of the North Korean nuclear and missile threats, the two presidents are also likely to agree to the restart of bilateral security talks involving foreign and defense ministry officials. Such talks were last held in May 2018.
Earlier Thursday, North Korea fired what appeared to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions that have imposed economic sanctions on the nation.
The missile is believed to have fallen outside Japan's exclusive economic zone in the Sea of Japan.
Before departing for Tokyo, Yoon held a National Security Council meeting at which he stated that Pyongyang will have to pay the price for its provocations.
The last time a South Korean president made a trip to Japan was in June 2019 for the G20 summit in Osaka.
Then South Korean President Moon Jae In, however, did not hold bilateral talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Yoon, who took office in May 2022, has been trying to improve ties with Japan, while strengthening military cooperation with the United States as North Korean missile launches continue to jeopardize regional security.
Kishida, who became prime minister in October 2021, has hailed the proposal by South Korea, saying it will help restore "healthy" relations between Tokyo and Seoul.
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