The new Japanese Ambassador to South Korea vowed to do his best to improve bilateral ties between the two neighboring countries, calling Seoul an important partner for Tokyo.

Ambassador Koichi Mizushima made the remark upon arriving at Gimpo International Airport on Friday, emphasizing that bilateral ties have been steadily developing since last year, thanks to the leadership of the two countries.

The Japanese envoy noted that next year marks the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Japan, and vowed to do his best to further improve relations on the occasion.

Mizushima did not respond to questions regarding the ongoing Line Yahoo issue amid growing backlash in Korea following the Japanese government's administrative guidance regarding Naver.

The new ambassador is taking the place of the outgoing envoy, Koichi Aiboshi, and his appointment marks his second assignment to South Korea, as he served as a minister at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul from 2017 to 2018.