Yoon opened the meeting this Sunday expressing to Japanese prime minister his desire that this new meeting results in benefits for both countries, according to the Yonhap agency.

“We have to move away from the perception that we cannot take a single step towards future cooperation unless our past history is fully resolved,” Kisida replied, at the start of the meeting.

Kishida’s visit comes as bilateral relations began to improve following Seoul’s decision in March to compensate South Korean victims of wartime forced labor without contributions from Japanese companies.

Yoon traveled to Tokyo ten days after the decision was announced and held a summit with Kishida, becoming the first South Korean president to pay a bilateral visit to Japan in 12 years.

Kishida’s two-day visit is also the first bilateral visit by a Japanese leader in 12 years, signaling the full resumption of “route diplomacy,” or regular mutual visits, as agreed between Yoon and Kishida during their March summit, in Tokyo.

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