President Yoon Suk Yeol met with former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Wednesday and called for improving bilateral relations through actions over words.

The president met with the former prime minister at the presidential office in Yongsan during Suga’s visit to South Korea in his capacity as the new chief of the Japan-Korea Parliamentarians' Union.

According to presidential spokesperson Lee Do-woon, Yoon stressed the importance of trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the U.S. and Japan, saying that the contribution to global peace and prosperity through their security and economic cooperation conforms to the trend of world history.

Suga reportedly noted that North Korea's launch of a ballistic missile under the pretext of a satellite launch on Wednesday highlights the growing importance of security cooperation between South Korea and Japan as well as trilaterally with the U.S.

President Yoon said that a complete restoration of the bilateral relationship was achieved through the three South Korea-Japan summits in the past two months, and they must jointly respond to the international community's diverse agenda as nations with shared values and interests.

Yoon also called for cooperation to ensure that the peoples of the two countries feel the benefits of the improved bilateral relations through action and not simply words.