Under Yoon's administration, Seoul has sought better ties with Tokyo which have been fraught with historical baggage for years at a time of China's growing influence and North Korea's growing missile and nuclear programs, Reuters reported.
During a ceremony to mark an independence holiday, Yoon said next year would be the 60th anniversary of normalized diplomatic relations with Japan and he hoped it could be a chance for the bilateral relationship to reach a "higher level."
"Now, South Korea and Japan are working together to overcome the painful past and moving toward a 'new world'," he said in a speech to commemorate the formation of an independence movement against Japan's 1910-1945 occupation of Korea.
"The security cooperation between the two countries against North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats has been strengthened further," he added.
Tensions have also increased on the Korean peninsula following intensifying military drills by the South Korean and US militaries, sometimes involving Japan, in response to weapons testing by the North, which said it was readying for a "nuclear war" with its enemies.
South Korea's government would continue to provide support for North Korean defectors, Yoon said.
SD/PR
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