SEOUL-- Diplomats of South Korea and Japan held talks in Tokyo on Friday to discuss outcomes of their countries' respective summits with the United States earlier this year, regional situations and other issues, the foreign ministry said.

Koh Yun-ju, the ministry's director general for North American affairs, and his Japanese counterpart, Keiichi Ichikawa, met amid a protracted row between Seoul and Tokyo over wartime history and trade, and a U.S. push to bring its core Asian allies closer to counter shared challenges, including North Korean threats.

The meeting also followed a report that Seoul and Tokyo are in talks to arrange a visit to Japan by President Moon Jae-in to attend the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics later this month.

"The director generals had a broad exchange of opinions on the outcomes of the summits between South Korea and the U.S., and between the U.S. and Japan, which took place in the first half of this year, relations with the U.S., regional situations and other issues of mutual interest," the ministry said in a press release.

The two sides also shared the view on the importance of trilateral cooperation between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan, the ministry added.

The meeting between South Korean and Japanese director-generals in charge of North American affairs was first held in Seoul in May 2007. The previous meeting took place virtually last September.

Source: Yonhap News Agency