Japan and South Korea are considering holding a summit in mid-November, a Japanese government source said Friday, as the two countries continue to try and improve their relations hurt by wartime issues.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol may meet on the sidelines of an international gathering, such as the Group of 20 summit to be held in Indonesia later this month, according to the source.
The move to bring the leaders together follows Kishida's attempt to facilitate a summit by sending former Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso to meet Yoon in Seoul on Wednesday. The two agreed, during their 85-minute talk, on the need for further communication to improve bilateral ties.
Tokyo-Seoul relations reached their lowest point in years during the tenure of Yoon's predecessor Moon Jae In, after South Korea's top court ruled in late 2018 that two major Japanese firms must pay damages to Korean plaintiffs over issues surrounding forced labor during World War II.
Among Yoon's pledges in assuming the presidency in May was to take a future-oriented approach toward Japan, while Kishida has also emphasized the necessity of building constructive ties with the country.
When Kishida and Yoon met in September on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly's annual session, both governments characterized their talks as informal.
Increasingly provocative actions by North Korea are also in the background of the two countries' moves to improve ties. The country fired a barrage of artillery projectiles on Wednesday, including one missile that fell on the south side's maritime border, and launched multiple missiles as recently as Thursday.
One of the projectiles was initially on course to fly over Japan before disappearing from radar over the Sea of Japan.
In response to rising tensions over North Korea, Kishida and Yoon are also planning to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden in mid-November, possibly on the fringes of an international meeting such as the G-20 summit, according to other government sources.
