Seoul: South Korea has reaffirmed its bid to join the trans-Pacific trade pact during the summit talks between President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Lee's top security adviser said.

According to Yonhap News Agency, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac told reporters that relevant government departments were expected to discuss the matter to join the 12-member Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

During the Lee-Takaichi summit, South Korea and Japan also addressed Seoul's ban on seafood from eight Japanese prefectures, a measure imposed after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster. Wi stated that there was an explanation from the Japanese side regarding food safety, which the South Korean side acknowledged.

Before the summit with Takaichi, President Lee expressed to Japan's NHK public broadcaster that the issue of South Korea's seafood import ban requires a long-term approach due to the necessity of gaining the trust of the Korean populace. The ban, initiated in 2013 over radiation concerns, remains in place until public concerns are fully alleviated.

Supply chain stability was also a topic of discussion, following China's recent restrictions on exports of "dual-use" items to Japan, which include critical rare earth minerals. The leaders shared a consensus on the need for cooperation in establishing stable supply chains, though specific discussions about Beijing's export controls were not detailed.

In addition to these discussions, the leaders explored ways to enhance trilateral cooperation with Washington and raised the issue of cooperation with Beijing, with Wi emphasizing that these discussions were not aimed at any particular country.

The summit, the second in under three months, also saw progress on historical issues related to Japan's colonial rule of Korea from 1910-45. An agreement was reached to conduct DNA analysis on remains found at the Chosei undersea coal mine in Japan's Yamaguchi Prefecture, where a 1942 flood resulted in the deaths of 183 people, including 136 Korean forced laborers. Wi noted that the issue of the Chosei coal mine was a priority for Takaichi during the talks, and both leaders agreed to strengthen humanitarian cooperation on historical matters.