Seoul: National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik on Friday called for South Korea and Japan to confront historical issues and sincerely reflect on the past to advance their bilateral relations. Cho emphasized the necessity of maintaining parliamentary exchanges between the two nations as a means to foster mutual understanding and cooperation.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Cho made these remarks during a meeting with Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Koichi Mizushima at the National Assembly. He underscored the need for both countries to address lingering historical grievances and focus on building a future-oriented relationship. "For South Korea-Japan ties to continue and advance, we must resolve historical issues and make efforts toward the future," Cho stated.

Cho highlighted the tradition of dialogue between the parliaments of South Korea and Japan, even during challenging times in their relationship. He described this tradition of parliamentary exchanges as a "solid pillar" for sustaining and advancing bilateral ties. Furthermore, he expressed optimism that relations will continue to progress based on "sincere reflection" on the past, referencing the 1998 joint declaration by former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and former Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi.

In response, Ambassador Mizushima reiterated Tokyo's desire to pursue "future-oriented and stable" relations with Seoul, grounded in mutual trust. He also stressed the importance of trilateral cooperation with the United States and expressed hope for Cho's support in strengthening such collaborations.