이낙연 총리, 오늘 오전 11시 아베 만나 문 대통령 친서 전달
Amid frayed relations between Seoul and Tokyo over trade and historical issues,... South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the past hour.
Lee is also known to have delivered a letter from President Moon Jae-in.
For more, we have our Kim Mok-yeon on the line for us.
Mok-yeon, how did the meeting go?
Hi Ji-yoon, the meeting started at 11:12 AM at the Prime Minister's official residence in Tokyo.
The meeting had been delayed for 10 minutes from the original schedule, and the talks lasted for about 20 minutes.
Although the details haven't been revealed yet, inside sources say South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon likely expressed Seoul's willingness to mend ties with Tokyo.
He is expected to have offered his congratulations over Emperor Naruhito's enthronement as well as expressed concern over the damage from the latest series of typhoons that hit Japan.
Lee also delivered a personal letter written by President Moon Jae-in to his Japanese counterpart.
Though its contents have not been disclosed,... the letter likely details Moon's commitment to improve Seoul-Tokyo relations.
Prime Minister Lee will wrap up his three-day stay in Tokyo after a luncheon with representatives of Japan's economic groups, where he is expected to exchange ideas on economic cooperation.
So Mok-yeon, why is today's meeting garnering so much attention?
Well, there are hopes that the meeting will bring some positive news amid the continuing tensions between the two countries, and perhaps provide an opportunity for a Moon-Abe summit before the end of the year.
The meeting is actually the first of its kind in over a year, since a ruling by the South Korean Supreme Court called for Japanese companies to compensate Korean victims of Tokyo's forced labor during its colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.
From July, bilateral ties slumped to a low NOT seen in decades, after Tokyo imposed export curbs against Seoul and removed South Korea from its "white-list" of countries with favorable trade conditions the following month.
And in late August, tensions continued to escalate following South Korea's announcement to terminate its military intelligence-sharing pact with Japan, known as GSOMIA.
So now that the meeting is over, we still have to wait and see whether it will pave the way for thaw in tensions between the two countries.
That's all from me for now, back to you Ji-yoon.
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