Japan, S. Korea seek stable bilateral ties for regional stability

TOKYO, Nov. 11 Kyodo

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso and South Korean Ambassador to Japan Ra Jong Yil agreed Friday that stable bilateral relations are important in order to ensure stability in Northeast Asia, Japanese Foreign Ministry officials said.

Aso, recently appointed Japan's foreign minister, and Ra, making a courtesy call on Aso, also expressed hope that an upcoming bilateral foreign ministerial meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum meeting in Busan, South Korea, will provide momentum for relations to improve, the officials said.

Ties have been strained by Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's repeated visits to the war-related Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo as well as a longstanding gap in the two nations' interpretations of history.

Referring to the Yasukuni shrine visits, which have sparked an outcry in South Korea, Ra told reporters, ''It is well known that that is one of the pending issues.''

The South Korean envoy said, however, that the matter was simply ''mentioned'' but not discussed ''in any depth'' during his 25-minute courtesy call on Aso.

Countries in Asia, especially South Korea and China, suffered from Japanese military aggression before and during World War II and they regard Yasukuni Shrine as symbolic of Japanese militarism.

Ra stressed that ties between Japan and South Korea should serve as a pillar of stability as unstable bilateral ties would likely result in instability in the Northeast Asian region, the officials said.

Aso was also quoted as saying that Japan's friendly and cooperative ties with South Korea are necessary for regional stability.

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