President Moon Jae-in says South Korea and Japan should seek out an "optimal" solution for Tokyo's wartime forced labor issue, which is at the center of strained bilateral ties.
Moon made the remark Thursday during his first phone conversation with new Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.
According to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok, the president suggested the two sides speed up "communication efforts" to resolve pending disputes "with a new mindset" on the occasion of Suga's inauguration.
The spokesman said Suga agreed to "encourage" dialogue efforts to that end.
In their 20-minute call, the leaders also agreed to work together to overcome the COVID-19 crisis and cooperate more closely on the Korean Peninsula peace process.
The last time Moon spoke with a Japanese leader was in December, when he met with former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in China for trilateral talks.
<Photo: Yonhap News>
