President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Wednesday that friendship and cooperation between South Korea and Japan will gradually expand with shuttle diplomacy.

According to presidential spokesperson Lee Do-woon, the president made the remarks in a meeting with Takeo Akiba, the secretary general of Japan’s National Security Secretariat, who visited Seoul for talks with his South Korean counterpart.

In the meeting, Yoon reportedly said that South Korea and Japan, as partners pursuing common interests based on common values, must work together in the face of a complex global crisis.

President Yoon reportedly expressed hope that the national security councils of the two nations will continue to deepen their cooperation in security as well as science and technology.

He added Seoul and Tokyo will need to consider various measures so that the people of the two nations can feel the improvement of bilateral relations as well as the benefits.

In response, Akiba expressed gratitude for South Korea recently transporting Japanese nationals along with South Koreans from Sudan and congratulated Yoon on the successful state visit to the United States.

The Japanese national security adviser reportedly said that he highly appreciates President Yoon's courageous decision that led the improvement of Seoul-Tokyo relations.